This Could Have Been So Much Better

This drama was filmed back in 2018/19 and kept on the shelf until mid 2021. I don't know why it was kept in cold storage for so long, but I suspect that the producers thought they had made a bit of a lemon and hoped it might improve with age. It didn't.

Choi Tae-joon stars as musician Hoo Joon is actually quite good in the role considering what he had to work with - an idol with not much personality and the usual icy demeanour. Choi Soo Young stars as Lee Geun-young. Geun-young should have been such a strong character, a reporter who was unfairly fired from her job and victimised by Hoo Joon's fans, instead she was just limp, excepting abuse and constant poor treatment.

The second lead characters were just awful, Huang Chan Sung as JJ, an abusive partner to In-Hyung (Han Ji An), a idol hopeful and full time sad sack.

There are so many ways that this drama could have written, a straight up comedy, or address the issues of domestic violence, or the craziness of the whole idol system - equal parts worship and then just as quickly condemning and ostracising. So much potential wasted.

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Bad Guys Gone Good

Bad Guys was pretty enjoyable, of course it's far fetched and the plot is full of holes, but that's what makes it so good, that and the cast.

Kim Sang Joong plays police detective Oh Goo Tak, full of anger and grief, who enlists long term prisoners to help investigate major crimes with the lure of reduced sentences.

Ma Dong Seok as Park Woong Cheol, a tough gang member, Jo Dong Hyuk as Jung Tae Soo, a former hit man and Park Hae Jin as Lee Jung Moon, a genius serial killer (cliched, I know). They are joined by Kang Ye Won as Police officer Yoo Mi Young, who is wasted as her character brings little to the investigation and it feels as though she is only there as a female place holder.

The four male leads are very good, Ma Dong Seok is extremely likeable, Jo Dong Hyuk is unfairly sexy with his hair razored short to show off his magnificent bone structure and Park Hae Jin is all doe eyes and tragic emo angst.

This drama is beautifully filmed, the picture is incredibly sharp, to the point that every pore and imperfect of our cast's skin is shown. I found myself very aware of the foundation on the actors faces due to the way the show was filmed. The action and fight sequences were fantastic, and there were a lot of them.

I highly recommend Bad Guys.

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Locked In and Isolated - COVID-19 Style

Our slacker hero Jun Woo (Yoo Ah In) wakes up to discover that a mysterious outbreak has occurred in spread through Seoul. His family is out for the day, Jun Woo is trapped alone in his apartment, and can see the impending disaster, with no way to escape and a dwindling food supply.

His neighbour Yoo Bin (Park Shin Hye) is more resourceful, and the two cleverly communicate using a drone and a laser pen, and clever Yoo Bin finds a way to send food to starving Jun Woo.

The cast was not extensive, but the performances in #Alive were excellent and particularly Yoo Ah In and Park Shin Hye good, often acting alone.

The zombies acting was good, as per normal in Korean productions. They have developed their own style of movement, which involves a lot of contortions which I really enjoy.

Overall, I enjoyed #Alive every much. Acting was well done, solid storyline, cinematography very good. High rewatch value. Thanks

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A gem of a show starting Seo In Guk as hockey playing schoolboy Lee Min Suk, who impersonates his older brother as a company business executive. He copes pretty well in his double life and continues to act as the 18 year old he actually is. Seo In Guk is always good, he is able to inhabit any role with ease.

The rest of the cast are also good. Lee Ha Na is his secretary and love interest. I didn't recognise her at first from her role in Voice. Here she is meek and insecure, gaining strength as the storyline progressed. She is fantastic here.

Lee Soo Hyuk is wonderful here. He is the secret illegitimate son of the company owner, treated terribly by his father and is completely friendless and lonely. His face is uniquely suited to tragic roles. He is not a real villain in this drama. I'd like to know how he got on afterwards.

The rest of supporting cast is rounded out school students Lee Yeol Eum, Lee Tae Hwan and Kang Ki Young, and Workmates Jo Han Chul and Kim Chang Soo.

Watch this light hearted drama for romance, humour and brilliant supportive friends.

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A Masterpiece

I was reluctant to watch Chicago Typewriter as I had the impression that it was sad, dark and depressing. An angst ridden trauma of a show. I couldn't have been more wrong. There is a lot of humour in the script, superb acting, particularly from Yoo Ah In and Go Kyung Pyo. I binge watched as Chicago Typewriter is leaving Netflix at the end of September 2021.

If you've read the synopsis of the story, you'd know that the story follows two men and a woman in two eras, one during 1930's Japanese occupation and the other in the 21st century. The lives of the three characters are entwined in both eras.

Ultimately it's a story about love and friendship. Devotion to others and loyalty to their country and the willingness to sacrifice to achieve the desired results, regardless of personal safety.

Han Se Joo/ Seo Hwi Young (the always brilliant Yoo Ah In) is a writer in both eras, successfully so in the current time, but suffering writers block.

Yoo Jin Oh/Shin Yul (Go Kyung Pyo) is a free spirited bar owner on his past life, and a mysterious Ghost writer who helps Se Joo with his writing slump.

Jun Seol/Ryu Soo Hyun (Im Soo Jung) is a veterinarian and Jill-Of-All-Trades, she is Han Se Joo's first and most devoted fan. She was a sniper for Korean liberation and her skills with a firearm have bleed over into her current Life.

The story moves between to two time period as our three friends in the 21st century attempt to unravel what happened in the past.

The three actors have lovely chemistry, and have individual relationships with each other in both lives. The two men have an amazing friendship and great love for each other. They both love Seol/Soo Hyun but it doesn't effect their friendship.

The OST was very nice, soft and uniquely suited to both eras. The ending was just right.

A very special (and extremely shallow) mention to Yoo Ah In's hair. He can rock a buzz cut and holy moly he was beautiful with his floppy 1930's poet hair. Old school dreamy.

I highly recommend watching Chicago Typewriter. Boo to Netflix for removing it from their roster.

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Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young - Perfection!

Healer is fantastic, from the first scene to the last. Ji Chang Wook is perfectly cast as Healer Seo Jung Hoo/Bong Soo, a night courier who can get any job done, for the right price. Chang Wookie was born to play roles like this, he is well suited to the physical and athleticism that makes the part so appealing. Park Min Young, as ever, is a joy. How lucky are all the leading men she has worked with? She has effortless chemistry with them all. Yoo Ji Tae and the fabulous Kim Mi Kyung round out the main cast.

Coat Rating - A solid 7, some very nice coats, but I will forever be enamoured by lovely Chang Wookie in his black leather jacket, zipped up tight, black jeans and boots. I think he should dress in nothing else.

Highly recommended.

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