Vincenzo (2021)

A lot to explore in what I thought would be a standard action thriller show. I expected an intense showdown between all three colors of justice at play; black, white, and gray. And yet I bore witness to an oddly humorous and feel good story. A story that, to its credit, did well in maintaining a degree of tension, stereotypical cool factors, and lighthearted goofiness. The writing was fun, consistent albeit a bit predictable.

The show did a good job in balancing the serious and comedic bits from start to finish. It established that identity early on and never failed to remind the audience of that fact. The story draws on the audiences' being tired of the good guys being actual good guys all the time. Vincenzo does away with this narrative and thus the audience, by extension, felt satisfaction in the habitual line-stepping moments. In terms of the story's pacing, the proverbial cat and mouse game played by the characters did grow a bit repetitive as many parts felt overly bloated. I wished they got down to the nitty-gritty a bit faster as there wasn't enough substance to last all 20 episodes.

In terms of the characters, they all worked relatively well. Vincenzo is strong enough to drive the story himself but the villains, their comeuppance, and the resulting schadenfreude were all done beautifully. The female lead started off strong but often seemed to fade into the background. Many of the side characters felt/became filler-ish but I appreciated how they were utilized in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, I still enjoyed watching a guy emotionally grow from being a cold-blooded mafioso to an unorthodox anti-hero of the people. Like they say in Rome... that's just how mafia works--- Grazi e arrivederci, Vincenzo.

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Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

God, I feel so lonely.

Faithful to its countryside aesthetic, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a simple, heartfelt, and wholesome romantic tale. There's not much of anything going on and the story occasionally goes through the motions. In return, the tension is never that intense. The drama never reaches that high. The conflicts are never lingering. The story embraces its interpersonal relationships and familial bonds and, thus, we the viewers are also treated as such by extension. The warm and welcoming atmosphere is both emotionally and mentally fulfilling.

While the supporting cast were quite fun in their own right and definitely had their moments to shine, the focus is loud and clear--- the main couple. They're loving, endearing while also annoyingly cute and disgustingly sweet. But I did enjoy watching their relationship grow from indifference to being absolutely head over heels for each other.

While I sympathize and can emotionally understand the direction of the writing developments... I can't say that I'm 100% a fan on how they decided to handle and wrap up one of the major plot points during the ending sequences. It felt like it didn't do justice to the story we've experienced thus far. In short, yeah the ending turned out fine but I was definitely hesitant and unconvinced on how they were gonna pull it off. The show opted to go a little heavy-handed on the emotional bits towards the end but still very much an all's well that ends well type of vibe.

I hope that we all, someday, find our very own hometown, cha, cha, cha.

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Mr. Queen (2020)

An intricate tale of unorthodox romance layered underneath a veil of silliness and exaggeration.

As with all stories involving the olden days, there's always the twists and turns involving hierarchy, politics, corruption, et cetera. Mr. Queen, despite having comedic roots, still managed to fulfill those roles quite well. The show kept viewers engaged to the story progression and knew exactly when to alleviate the tension with lighthearted comedic bits. While largely entertaining the show's script did carry a bit of bloat. Bloat that, when combined with the historical context, did make the show feel draggy at times.

And then we have the ending. A tricky thing to approach and ultimately one of the rare weaknesses of the show. The way the ending sequences and the penultimate moments where the "all's well ends well" pieces start falling into place were a bit... weird. It was unfortunate that some parts of the show felt unnecessarily fleshed out whereas the vital ending moments were anything but.

The cast. Just wow. All of the characters, leads and supporting, were all enjoyable to watch; performances that were over the top yet well executed. Of course, Female Lead Shin Hye Sun puts on an absolute gem of a performance and really gave life to her character. Actors that are tasked to portray characters that pull double duty can be challenging but when they get it right it sure is a sight to behold. And her majesty did not disappoint. Her majesty, Mr. Queen.

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Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)

Yes, the show has a similar setup to Hotel del Luna (2019) from just the year prior. Yes, you should compare them. In fact, I've already done the same.

TL;DR = Spiritual Female Lead paying for her sins. Supported by her group of assistants, including a freshly recruited human Male Lead. Forced to help others before they themselves are able to move on and reincarnate. Episodic in nature with the underlying reincarnation plot slowly creeping up towards the end. Cue funny bits, cue emotional bits. End.

What Mystic Pop-up Bar does different is deciding to stay relatively simple compared to it's older sister. The comedy bits are a bit more grounded. The emotional bits don't quite hit the same. The episodic stories are less compelling. The main plot line is a little less emotionally complicated.

On paper, the show should be fine. Fun visuals, decent cast, and a plot that should be simple enough to pull off without any major hiccups. And for the most part, it does. But as I've selfishly stated earlier, I am directing comparing this to Hotel del Luna so everything in my review so far means jack squat to me.

Though the stakes are different when deciding which establishment to patronize, I'd rather visit Hotel del Luna than the Mystic Pop-up Bar.

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Touch Your Heart (2019)

You'll never convince me that this show wasn't just fan service to reunite the secondary couple from Goblin (2016).

I'm also almost not convinced that the meta of poking fun at Yoo In Na (유인나)'s character's acting skills wasn't completely on the nose. Personally, I wasn't too sold on her and male lead Lee Dong Wook (이동욱)'s chemistry in the show; it was just "okay". An odd departure from their "iconic" chemistry from just a few years back. Could be an script issue too, I suppose.

Overall the story is lacking but then again I don't think the show was aiming for that in the first place. While I understand that the writing needed some minor themes to build some substance with, the lawyer/attorney stuff feels flimsy at best. It's clear that the show had one purpose from start to finish. Fan service for the fans of Gobl-, sorry I meant, to portray a simple, cute, and fuzzy romance with bits of comedy thrown in. A romantic comedy, even. Har har har.

Your honor, while the show did nothing wrong per se it is guilty of one thing.

It did not, in fact, touch my heart.

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What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)

Super fun premise although it felt like it dragged on for a bit longer than it needed to. Also, it felt a bit too similar to male lead actor Park Seo Joon's previous show just a few years prior- She Was Pretty (2015).

Contrary to a lot of other reviews, I thought the main couple's chemistry was fine enough. They played off each other well, the romance was convincing enough, and they went through their own trials and tribulations to come out stronger, cuter, and more in love with another. Park Min Young played a playfully serious secretary and Park Seo Joon played, again, a cool perfectionist yet goofy CEO archetype. The boss-employee dynamic was fine for the most part, though it felt a bit too tipped in the boss' scale.

The side characters and subplot were... okay? Without a doubt the clear cut focus of the show was the development of the leads so any side characters didn't have much to work with. The "big bad evil" plot point was oddly dark but I appreciated it. Some parts were played safely and some parts were unnecessarily bloated, but again, fine for the most part.

Even after the show was over and the dust had settled, we never got the true answer to the question: what's wrong with secretary Kim?

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She Was Pretty (2015)

A decent to alright show at best. For a romantic comedy, the romance was just alright and the comedy was, again, just alright. The 'long lost childhood friend turned lover' trope is very sweet and endearing but it lacked a certain oomph to really sell it as a top tier romance. The show has a bit of a rough start and the ending sequence felt a bit off pacing-wise. An ending sequence that was annoyingly fulfilling despite how average everything else was prior.

The worst sin committed were some of plot devices abused to conveniently and awkwardly move the story along.

- Male lead has PTSD triggered by driving in the rain but the plot has him constantly doing so. Why can't the guy occasionally check the weather app so he can take a cab or something? Can't the guy take the bus or train?
- Female lead halfway through the series finally decides to clean up her look after years and years of looking raggedy. Why? Just because she visited her father's workplace one day and saw how much labor and abuse he was going through? You mean to tell me only _now_ she notices it?

Character wise, the male lead's character, while fine, had too much leeway in the story. The secondary characters felt much more enjoyable to watch especially the secondary male lead. Such a fun character who at times felt like an extension of the audience. The female lead's acting was... a bit too pathetic. A bit too cringe. A bit too over the top. A bit too goofy. A bit too unrealistic. Which is a bit of a bummer because the supposed charm of the show was showcasing the fact that all this time, she was pretty.

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The Producers (2015)

A unique and creative premise built outside the boundaries of a normal TV series.

The show operates under the guise of a mockumentary offering a look into the inner workings of the "industry". Even excluding the four main star leads you get an impressive number of cameos from well-known faces in the business which makes for a very fun watch overall.

But, I can see how the stylistic choices could throw off the typical Korean viewer. Though I'd imagine audiences familiar with shows like The Office or Parks and Recreation would feel right at home. With that said, I was disappointed when they seemingly abandoned the mockumentary format and leaned more heavily on the typical romance/drama aspects. The dry satirical humor, fun character interactions, the behind-the-scenes of the behind-the-scenes--- awkward at times, sure, but it was what made it fun.

A shoutout to the many hardworking staff members that work their butts off to ensure viewers get content to enjoy; the writers, cameramen, directors, sound, visuals, and importantly, the producers.

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My Love from the Star (2013)

A Korean wave classic and it's easy to see why. The show has all the basic components in a typical drama yet manages to deliver a unique experience just off of the strength of its writing and acting.

The female lead's overly dramatic, tantrum-throwing superstar ego is a wonderful juxtaposition to the male lead's stoic, dull demeanor. The chemistry with each other, though, was oddly not as good as I thought it should have been and it seem to throw off the pairing just a smidge. Their romance was believable and endearing but I kind of want to chalk that up to the pair's acting chops if anything.

Story-wise, it's a good script, the storytelling itself is fine but the pacing gets a little out of place at times and especially during the ending sequences. Honestly, I really wanted the show to maintain the looming bittersweet ending and go out with a bang to really drive home that emotional impact. But it felt like it was neutered to get a somewhat happy ending, and it showed.

In my perfect ending, I would love for the lead pair to actually separate for real, with the female lead continuing her partner's love for literature by turning their three month romantic adventure into an in-universe screenplay or book. It helps her move on with her life while still leaving a recollection of her love, who came from the stars.

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Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017)

Unapologetically fun, lighthearted, downright comically nonsensical. The premise is pretty unique as you really don't see this type of setup all too often. Though some aspects such as the evil plotline and the "laugh at gay stuff" felt a bit iffy, to say the least. The slapstick comedy is wacky, chaotic, over the top yet makes sense here. The show is not meant to be taken too seriously--- which is weird because the overarching "big bad" plotline was oddly dark and unusually serious which leads to an odd viewing experience at times. I can't help but wonder how the show would fare if we subtract the darker bad guy storylines and downgrade it to a simple romantic comedy and toned down wacky hijinks.

The cast's chemistry is good, a bit unbalanced, but good nonetheless. The casting for the female lead was strangely perfect to be honest. The small-framed, petite, 5'2 Park Bo Young, is such a contrast to serve as the almighty strong woman, Do Bong Soon.

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Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016)

A romantic-comedy done right. No overly dramatic, absurdly over the top, bang your head against the wall nonsense. Sure, it has its moments of "eh, really?" at times but overall, it delivered a classic vanilla romance built off the friends-to-lovers trope, executed beautifully.

The character dynamics, not only from the main leads, but from the entire cast were very good. Supporting characters came alive when they appeared on screen and the leads... just tremendous chemistry and worked off each other wonderfully. Maybe it was the school setting placebo but it genuinely felt like the character groups were a really close-knit group of friends. Perhaps, that was the main charm of the show.

Even with basic presentation, the show's appeal is that of a fun, casual slice of life with a slow burning romance that offers you bits and pieces at a time. But once all the pieces starting falling into place it really gets all "warm and fuzzy" inside. It's lighthearted yet still flexible enough to get into its emotional pockets.

And seriously, the female lead sure is an absolute cute, weightlifting fairy--- that Kim Bok Joo.

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Hotel del Luna (2019)

The show is a fun spin on a supernatural/fantasy tale yet it still manages to deliver a surprisingly emotional story. Reincarnation writing is always such a bittersweet experience. You, me, the audience, the characters--- we all see it coming but once it starts to set in we can't help but still feel that deep emotional jolt.

While the overall character dynamics of the cast were good, at some point the chemistry between the lead pair seems to plateau and stop progressing from there. I'm not talking about the intimacy aspects per se, more like on a deep personal level. It just needed a little more of a push that unfortunately never came. It maintained the whole 'employee fell in love with his boss and vice versa' feel to the very end; maybe intentional, maybe not. Some fault probably lies with the bloated filler problems the show faced--- which is where it becomes a bit marred.

A prime example of why the 16 episode standard should not be adhered to. Filler is to be expected in any show but they're incorporated in the wrong places, at the wrong time in this one. Stuff that people stopped caring about maybe 5-6 episodes in. Once plot points get established and identified the show should have started tying things up, but it didn't. The climax should've peaked at a better time, but it didn't. Our goodbye to the characters and the show should have been beautiful, but it wasn't. What was supposed to be a magical experience became a bit of a slog at times.

Despite the show's themes relating to life and death, the overall atmosphere and presentation, both visually and audibly, really made the show come alive.

Welcome to Hotel del Luna, please enjoy your stay.

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Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019)

A surprisingly appealing romantic story giving spotlight to the uncommon age-reversed roles of the lead couple. But I think this is where its faults also lie. While seemingly cute and innocent enough, the romantic chemistry just wasn't there. Which, for a romance-based story, is a bit of a letdown to say the least.

The setup is good, and the show knows when to nail you with the emotional bits and pieces. But the characters do lose the proverbial plot down the stretch and the show loses a bit of its luster that it started off with.

Still, the show offers a warm and fuzzy experience that leaves you with that satisfying feeling; akin to finishing a good book. And to be honest, the romance aspects of the show serve as a nice little bonus.

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It's Okay, That's Love (2014)

A veteran cast join together to present a very mature, authentic, and emotional experience that give viewers a look into lives that aren't all peaches and cream.

A sound script delivered by convincing characters. The presentation and production values are fine, though maybe a little dated--- such as the cinematography. Great OST. Story-wise, the only thing I would probably nitpick at is how the psychological plot is handled at times. It's a little too TV dramatized/convenient for my liking.

Regardless, I appreciate the show reflecting the many aspects of interpersonal relationships. The cast's relationships with one another is at the forefront with nothing to hide. The positives, the negatives, the ups and downs, the madness all around. A testament to the real world where we all have our secrets that we harbor yet still knowing that it's okay to ask for help from those around you because, well, that's love.

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