Park Gyu Young

Flash Review: The Tuna And The Dolphin [Drama Special]

| kfangurl

I’ve grown quite fond of Park Gyu Young in recent years, and found her particularly charming in Dali and the Cocky Prince (even though I dropped that show). I also have a good amount of goodwill for Yoon Park, particularly from his role as a sweet chef in 2016’s Age Of Youth, and have felt that he deserves to play nicer guys in general.

So when I saw that this little drama special stars Park Gyu Young and Yoon Park, I just had to give it a look.

Overall, while this isn’t the most amazing show ever, I did find it quite enjoyable – after a few lens adjustments, which I’ll talk about soon.

Psst: Link to watch is at the end of the review.

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Dropped: Dali And The Cocky Prince

| kfangurl

I really, really wanted to like this one, you guys.

I mean, Park Gyu Young in her first lead role? Yes, please! And, Kim Min Jae, as a romantic leading man again, after a wonderful turn as romantic leading man in Do You Like Brahms? Also yes, please!

The thing is, though, after 4 episodes, I’m just not feeling this one, to be brutally honest. 😝

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Review: The Devil Judge

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

As dark as it is, and as flawed as it is, The Devil Judge is quite the rollercoaster of a watch.

I will say that Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung are both magnetic enough in their deliveries, to command your attention all on their own.

That said, there is a lot that one might find problematic in this show’s writing and execution, not least Show’s propensity to try to shock its audience, as often and as deeply as possible.

Some folks love this one, and others hate it. It’s hard to say where you’d land, until you give this one a try. That said, I do think that certain lens adjustment would help yield a more enjoyable watch experience, which I’ll talk about shortly.

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Flash Review: Kang Deoksun’s Love History [Drama Special]

| kfangurl

Major shout-out to dear Beez, who took the time to write, to suggest this little drama special to me.

I’d really liked drama special Let Us Meet, but Beez hadn’t liked it as much as I had, and she said that this drama special, was everything she’d hoped Let Us Meet could have been, but wasn’t.

Of course, that really intrigued me, because if I’d already really enjoyed Let Us Meet, mightn’t this mean that I would possibly enjoy this show even more?

..And that’s exactly what happened, you guys. I did like this even more than Let Us Meet, and I hope you will too. 😋

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Flash Review: Sweet Home

| kfangurl

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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Review: It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A meaty, dark, whimsical melodrama that examines the difficulties faced by people suffering from trauma and mental illness, It’s Okay is not an easy watch at all.

There is lots to unpack, difficult feelings to feel, and even internal biases to examine. So if you’re looking for a fluffy rom-com, this is probably not for you, for right now.

However, it is remarkably satisfying to witness our characters’ journeys, because those journeys are teased out so organically, that all of the growth and progress feels earned and true.

Fantastic performances by our cast – with a special shout-out to Oh Jung Se for his impressively amazing interpretation of an autistic character – brings everything to life, and it’s not hard to get invested in our characters’ journeys.

There are a few bumps in the road, but overall, this proved to be a very satisfying watch.

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Review: Romance Is A Bonus Book

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A noona romance that isn’t actually all about the romance, and yet, it works, and so well too.

While I don’t think that this would sit as well with a younger audience, I do feel like this would resonate well with a slightly older audience, particularly if said audience is female.

Show takes the premise of a divorcee’s struggle to re-enter the workforce, and makes it come alive with poignance and heart, while managing to slip a charming noona romance in there, to sweeten the whole experience.

A capable cast and a lovely OST round out this drama’s strengths, and I also wanted to say, Lee Na Young is extra incandescent to my eyes, as our female protagonist.

Not a show that would work for everyone, but if it works for you, it works so well. <3

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Review: The Third Charm

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Not the sweet rom-com Show was marketed to be.

Instead, this one is a thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of personal journey; the ups and downs of life, the struggle to follow your heart, the mistakes you make and their consequences, as well as the growth that you gain, from those mistakes.

Some minor plotlines didn’t work as well for me, but by and large, I really appreciated the way Show fleshed out its characters. Seo Kang Joon and Esom are excellent as our leads, and made their characters feel like real, living, breathing people.

As a bonus, the music is really quite lovely in this, and makes the watch that much more immersive.

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Flash Review: Just Between Lovers

| kfangurl

Before I started this show, I had the impression that viewers basically fell into one of two camps with this one: they either really really love it, or really hate it.

Well, guess what, you guys.. I fall kinda in-between. What can I say, maybe I’m a little bit special? Or maybe I’m weird; take your pick, heh.

Essentially, watching this one felt to me like I was eating my spinach – at a time when I was learning to like it, but wasn’t quite there yet. Like, I’d have to tell myself to eat it, coz it had good vitamins and minerals.

Kinda the same thing with this show. I often had to decide to start on an episode, because I found that this show often wasn’t easy to watch. But I also knew this one had good things going for it, and that’s why I kept going.

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