Seo Yi Sook

Review: Bon Appetit, Your Majesty

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show starts off very strong, with an opening that’s both comedic yet well thought-out, and follows up soon after, with glorious food scenes, which quickly become one of Show’s big anchors.

Unfortunately, I feel that Show kind of forgets to develop the other big anchor in this type of story, and that is, a believably strong love connection between our OTP. As a result, our OTP is very pretty, but their loveline lacks oomph.

Add on what I feel is a misguided amount of time spent on a cooking competition, that could have been spent on developing the OTP connection, and I can’t help but feel that there are too many missed opportunities in the making of this show.

Not bad, but could have been great. 🥲

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Review: Red Swan

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show is objectively not amazing, but it has a few things going for it:

1. Rain is quite pitch perfect, as our story’s stoic, fearless bodyguard with a backstory;

2. The overall story actually becomes more interesting in Show’s second half; and

3. We get some pretty good performances by some of our supporting cast.

On the downside, the writing is not great, and the OTP chemistry is uneven, and, in my opinion, doesn’t really live up to the promises made by Show’s promo materials.

That said, lens adjustments are critical, and might even help you enjoy this one.

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Review: Under The Queen’s Umbrella

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Based on its synopsis alone – that this story is about a Queen who does everything she can, to protect her sons – Show could have been boring and dry, revolving around court politics.

In execution, though, Show is vibrant, engaging and absolutely compelling, and the secret to that, I think, is because our story is just so personal.

I love that this is more about a Mama Bear protecting her babies with all her heart, rather than about bearded men standing around and talking and talking about politics. THAT I can get on board with, and get on board, I did.

Our cast is solid, with some excellent stand-outs, but the one who stands out the most, for me, is Kim Hye Soo as our titular Queen. She’s commanding, yet vulnerable and full of heart, at the same time, I couldn’t help but love her, and by extension, her babies too.

Satisfying to the very last drop.

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Review: Hotel Del Luna

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show is easy on the eyes, with high production values that bring a creatively conceptualized fantasy world to life, a fabulously rich wardrobe for female lead IU, and several handsome leading men to top it all off.

IU delivers a strong performance, and her character’s personal journey fittingly forms the backbone of this story.

On the downside, I did not enjoy the OTP connection between her and Yeo Jin Goo, and I also felt the writing weaknesses quite keenly. ‘Twas still worth the while, though, for various endearing characters whom I became quite fond of.

A pleasant enough watch, if you’re able to look past Show’s shortcomings.

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Flash Review: Terius Behind Me [My Secret Terius]

| kfangurl

I almost missed out on this one, you guys, and I’m so glad I didn’t.

I first attempted this drama when it was airing last year, but the timing just wasn’t right for me.

I was in the midst of trying to get myself out of a bit of a drama rut at the time, and unlike my usual more patient self, I was much quicker to decide whether I was feeling a drama or not.

Unfortunately, as some of you would likely know, the other bum thing about a drama rut, is that you often just don’t feel a drama, even if said drama is very decent.

Same thing for me, with this show. I gave this show a try while it was airing, and didn’t even make it through episode 1. Oopsie.

Happily, the story doesn’t end there. Fast-forward several months, when I was properly out of my drama rut, and I found myself liking this show quite a fair bit, on my second attempt. Everyone was right; this one is a cute lil gem. ❤️

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Review: Heart To Heart

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

An understated, quiet little drama that started as a slow burn for me, but eventually got under my skin.

The writing’s a little patchy in spots, but the immersive, indie-flavored atmosphere, together with well-delivered characters, more than make up for weaknesses in the writing. Leads Choi Kang Hee and Chun Jung Myung both turn in excellent performances, and second leads Lee Jae Yoon and Ahn So Hee are nothing to sniff at either.

A warm and ultimately enjoyable watch.

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