Shin Hyun Bin

Review: Tell Me That You Love Me

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Tell Me That You Love Me is an unhurried, thoughtful, very reflective sort of drama, that’s sensitively written, tenderly directed, and very gentle, in its overall touch.

Jung Woo Sung and Shin Hyun Bin are well-cast, and deliver their characters well; a task that’s no small deal, considering that they both have to use sign language, as a matter of course.

The music is melodious, unhurried and poignant, and very enjoyable – and, I think, perfectly aligns with the general mood of the show.

I personally would have liked a slightly different treatment of the ending, but that’s a small gripe in the overall scheme of things, and this still works out to be a very solid watch.

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Review: Cinderella At 2 AM

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

For me personally, Cinderella at 2 AM is a show with a fun concept, that successfully plays with some tropes, to deliver a sense of freshness in the watch experience.

Unfortunately, to my eyes, this show is better in concept than execution, in just about every area. 😅 Generally speaking, I found the writing, acting and overall delivery to be on the ungainly side of things.

In terms of silver linings, I count the secondary OTP as a big, fun plus 🤩, and I also found the music pleasant enough to smooth over a number of rough edges.

In addition, I’d also say that this show does manage to serve up a decent amount of heart, despite its shortcomings.

Not a must-see by any means, but might be worth a whirl, given the right mood.

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Review: Reborn Rich

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

For a good portion of its run, I found Reborn Rich to be an utterly engaging, absorbing rollercoaster of a ride.

With fun twists and turns that I mostly didn’t expect, and some excellent performances by our cast (Lee Sung Min is STELLAR in this! 🤩🤩), I found myself lapping this up with relish, each and every week.

Your mileage may vary, but I personally didn’t enjoy the last 2 episodes as much as I did the first 14 that had gone before, even though I understood the narrative positives, for taking the direction that Show chooses.

Overall, I still found this to be a solid watch, and I’d say that Show is still a worthwhile spend of your drama hours.

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Review: Confession

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Confession might look like a standard crime thriller sort of show, but as it turns out, it’s more heartfelt and more melodramatic, than one might first expect.

With your expectations tweaked (very important, and more on that in a bit), Show works out to be a solid watch that’s both interesting and absorbing.

Junho and Yoo Jae Myung anchor this story, and they are excellent, both individually and together. Their enemies-to-partners journey was one of my favorite arcs in this show; I just loved the idea of them putting their talents together, and working towards a shared goal. 🤩

Plus, the music in this show is a force to be reckoned with; I loved the atmospheric, dramatic nature of it all, and how precisely it’s all applied.

An underrated drama that deserves more love than it gets.

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Flash Review: Sunset In My Hometown [Movie]

| kfangurl

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

I thought this would be an apt post for today, since some of you might be looking for a movie to watch during the holidays.

If you’re looking for some rustic countryside vibes, all sorts of relationship feels, with a side of introspection, growth and gratitude, this could be just your ticket.

Psst! Links to watch are at the end of the post!

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Review: Hospital Playlist 2

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show isn’t perfect by any means, but what it does right, it does so well, that I can’t help wanting to serve my heart up to Show on a plate.

It’s true that Show gets rather indulgent of itself from time to time, and it’s also true that some of the handling feels almost patronizing, in spots.

However, our characters continue to be lovable and wonderful, and Show continues to do an excellent job of teasing out their growth and relationships in a way that feels organic; it just has a way of grabbing my heart.

An absolutely worthy follow up to Season 1.

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Review: Hospital Playlist

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Warm, wholesome goodness dressed in hospital garb, Hospital Playlist is the medical themed drama that even the medical drama-averse can easily love.

Hospital Playlist checks a lot of boxes, for me. The writing and directing is assured; the cast is outstanding individually and together.

The overall feel is balanced, with enough attention given to the cases of the day without losing focus on our key characters; the music is heartfelt and breezy, made even more special when performed by the cast.

The slice-of-life approach might feel meandering and slow to some, but in exchange, you really feel like a fly on these characters’ walls, in their professional and personal capacities.

The long episodes might feel intimidating at first, but once you grow to love the characters, the length of the episodes become more of a boon than a bane.

I legit didn’t want this one to end; highly recommend.

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Review: Warrior Baek Dong Soo

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Warrior Baek Dong Soo is an odd creature of a show that just adds up to way more than the sum of its parts.

Show’s got flaws galore – it’s not all that well-written, logic fails abound, pacing is uneven in spots, and the ending, uh, leaves a lot to be desired – but in spite of it all, somehow, it works (for the most part).

It managed to keep my attention, creep under my skin, and eventually worm its way into my heart, when I wasn’t looking.

In the end, this show grabbed my heart way more than I’d expected – and I’m not just talking about the easy-on-the-eyes male leads either.

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