Shin Hyun Soo

Review: Bossam: Steal The Fate

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show’s draw is more about its characters and their relationships, as well as our OTP’s (One True Pairing) slow-burn romance. The court politics really is just set-dressing.

The downside is that the court politics is also the thing that drives our story forward, so Show can’t ever leave it behind for too long.

The upside, however, is that our key characters really do tend to grow on you in a solid way, and Show teases out the growth of characters and the progression of their relationships, in a manner that feels natural and believable, for the most part.

Jung Il Woo shows depth even in his character’s quiet melancholy, and Kwon Yu Ri is absolutely regal as our Princess who gets accidentally bossamed by our male lead.

Show has its fair share of flaws, but I thought the gentle, heartfelt romance between our OTP made it worthwhile.

Continue reading →

Flash Review: The Reason Why I Can’t Tell You [Drama Special]

| kfangurl

If you’re on the market for a small, sweet little romance, and you aren’t intimidated by the idea of it being a slow burn, this little drama special is, in my opinion, worth an hour of your time.

Ah, this is especially true, if you happen to be a fan of Go Min Si, who is our female lead.

I ended up enjoying this one really nicely, and I hope you guys will like it too.

Continue reading →

Review: Mystic Pop-up Bar

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A warm, heartfelt little show, Mystic is sometimes a little (or a lot) sillier than I usually like, but is, on the whole, so sincere and full of heart, that I can’t quibble with it too much.

Hwang Jung Eum is quite wonderful as our protagonist Wol Joo, and importantly, displays zero screechy tendencies in this role.

Choi Won Young and Yook Sung Jae round out the little Mystic team really nicely, and these three make a surprisingly endearing trio, as they strive to help their customers resolve their grudges – for heavenly credit, of course.

The overarching backstory is bittersweet and poignant, and Show does a nice job tying it in with our grudges of the day, with an impressive degree of consistency.

Importantly, Show starts strong and manages to end strong as well, making for a solid and satisfying watch, overall.

Continue reading →

Review: Age Of Youth 2

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A sequel that feels similar-yet-different when compared to its elder sibling Age Of Youth.

The departure of several characters and the addition of new ones makes this season feel rather bittersweet, but the drama world feels the same, and it’s great to spend time with familiar beloved characters once again.

Show continues with certain hanging threads left over from Season 1, while introducing new adventures and new people to our Belle Epoque girls. All in all, this feels like a solid continuation of Season 1.

Familiar enough to make existing fans of the show happy, but also accessible enough for viewers who haven’t seen Season 1.

Continue reading →

Flash Review: Star Of The Universe [Three Colors Of Fantasies: White]

| kfangurl

Every once in a while, a little gem of a mini series will show up, and shine more brightly than its peers. Color me surprised, but this is one of those times, you guys.

I’d enjoyed this show’s sisters (Queen Of The Ring and Romance Full Of Life) to varying degrees, having randomly picked those to start with within this trilogy, because I have a lot of affection for Kim Seul Gi and Yoon Si Yoon, who star in each of those shows respectively.

I’d kept this installment for last, because I have no strong feelings for the leads either way, and had merely expected this installment to be about as light and fluffy as the others – maybe less, even, since this story’s premise involves death. Eep.

I should’ve known, though, that in the hands of the writer who gave us the wonderful Splash Splash Love, this one was probably always destined to hit me hardest, where it counts the most. <3

Continue reading →

Flash Review: Age Of Youth

| kfangurl

You know how the after-effect of watching a particularly lovely drama can (ironically) put you in a bit of drama rut, purely because everything else just pales in comparison?

That’s what happened to me after I watched Nirvana In Fire (so awesome that it ruined me for a fair while, for other dramas), and more recently, that’s also pretty much how I felt after the wonderful hearts-in-eyes experience of Weightlifting Fairy.

Despite the slew of new dramas that came out after that drama cycle, I felt like nothing much was grabbing my heart.

Which is when I decided I ought to check out this drama. After all, everyone had been recommending this to me, including people who know my taste in dramas well, and they all promised that I would love this.

Thanks to all of you who suggested this one to me; I did end up loving this. It’s true that sometimes – or oftentimes – friends know you best. <3

Continue reading →