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our beloved summer (2021-2022)

i have written this on twitter but you know me.

our beloved summer is beautiful in any way it could possibly be. the osts are beautiful. shots are realistic and dreamy at the same time. editing is top-tier. even the title of each episode is pretty. i would probably watch the intro on a 10 hour loop.

but, perhaps above all, our beloved summer is beautiful for portraying first love as genuine as it is. shy smiles and nervous laughs. calming, tingling silence between fluttering hearts and racing heartbeats. the embarassingly adorable first kiss. the warmth of a hand being nervously held. 

our beloved summer show first love the way someone traces back a memory on a lazy afternoon. an insignificant train of thoughts about why it didn’t work. how it could’ve possibly worked out. 

and yes. the idea of first love is pretty much overrated, mainly in the media. but you and i, we both know there’s just something about first love. how it shaped you, whether you like it or not. how it might have turned you into the better or caused your heart to be in some pain your cells have never experienced before. as much as it could be beautiful, it could also be disgustingly painful. yet everyone miss it from time to time. our beloved summer show both sides of the goddamned first love and it is, indeed, a beautiful work. 

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hometown cha cha cha (2021)

written this on twitter but of course. writing again on this blog is like a ritual. let’s go. 

one of the things i love and will definitely miss from this drama is how it highlights the love between people. not just the romance kind of love. i get so used to romance that these kind of love feel somehow warmer. something i’ll hold dearly for a long time.

the silent love language of fathers. the way they would turn the earth upside down but still wont say it right to their daughters. “of course i wont let her get the braces! it involves taking four of her healthy teeth. four!!!” throwing posters and merchandises away yet his tired back was ready to take his daughter see someone who made her smile so much. “he doesn’t even know the weather in our place but he knows how cloudy it’s gonna be in rural areas. in your place.” “we went through stores because he needed to find the best plant for your clinic.”

the awkward love from daughters to their fathers. how daughters could feel the same (or even bigger) love, pride, and gratitute to their fathers, spoken through a different language. “if he decides to date, of course i would support him! you know it’s sad. seeing him live his entire life missing someone who’s no longer here.” how we feel the love out of every scolding and action, yet this mouth is more often than not, too heavy to mutter i love yous and thank yous.

the love from one mother to another. “of course we know she’s annoying. of course we get sick of her talking all the time. but she’s herself after we don’t see her for an entire year. even if her words bite our ears off, we’re glad. she’s herself. she’s happy. she’s here.” acknowledging how the pain of losing a chilld is so tremendously agonizing that you’d rather hear your divorce causes be talked about during gathering rather than see someone gets stuck and live their life around that event, that memory and that pain only.

the slight adoration and pride to boost someone’s ego and confidence. “no that’s not fair. you cannot join in the competition. you’re The Singer of our village!!” each one of us climb different stairs to our dreams. the least we could do is help some of us to realize that it’s okay. it takes a lot of strength to give up on a dream. yes they’re not at the top. but we can still acknowledge their efforts and how far they’ve come. 

the flowing (oftentimes painful) love from mother to their children and their grandchildren. “my son works in the big city! he’s very succesful. even my granddaughter studies overseas.” how mothers don’t have the heart to say they miss their children because they’re scared their feeling (which is very innocent) could disturb whatever it is their children is doing. how mothers would scold their children and boast them in the same sentence. you could break their heart a thousand times and the love for you will never stop.

the love in admiration from one woman to another. “i envy you, doctor. you have a prestigious job. people respect you and how you work hard for that title.” and “i envy you for being a good mother. you’re raising your daughter well while working and now you’re even expecting.” being, existing as a woman sometimes feel tough. and they acknowledge this hy holding each other’s hand and lifting each other up. i’m here for you and i will help you the way you would do the same for me. 

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hometown cha cha cha (2021)

i have to write this because i can’t let my brain cells forget it. also this is a break time from studies (pomodoro spaghetti method). 

hometown cha cha cha lets you feel something that has been slowly slipping away from us during the pandemic. the love of strangers that we consider (and they consider us) as family. the bond made within an area of people. the somewhat judging eyes and pursed lips, yet an immediate run when one asks for help. the trust that’s unconditional. as much as one likes being inside (myself included because under the blankets is my #1 comfort zone), humans were made to socialize. surrounded by uncertainties and fear of interacting with neighbors, even families, hometown cha cha cha lets you realize what you’ve also missed during these difficult times. 

i guess this is why the actors say this drama is a healing one. 4 episodes and maybe a few wipes of tears, i can’t wait for other ways this drama could move me. 

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the devil judge (2021) / ★★★★★

there you go. another anti-hero running to my "most-protect" list. even though they can perfectly protect theirselves, probably in a way my head is not smart enough to think of. first dystopian korea drama i've watched and i regret 0 part of my decision to watch.

jisung, kang yohan. i wonder if we whisper "speak of the devil", his character will look up. the character gets me thinking about "my villain origin story" posts. i love that this drama at first portrays him as a villain, and as the story goes, it just shows that he's indeed a villain. with a reason. jisung shows the perfect devil face, if that sort of thing exists. he has a calm expression that could kill you at the same time. there's also a pained expression with silent tears. the parted lips, irregular breaths, and the tears that never stop flowing. i remember that nightmare scene because i froze staring at it for a few seconds. an actor who can show pain, rage, and sadness in one expression, within a few seconds in one scene. jisung is the perfect actor for the devil judge who hands justice down in--sometimes--inappropriate ways.

jinyoung, kim gaon. (is his actor name jinyoung? or park jinyoung?). i never watched any of his drama before. i got mesmerized with this one. i'm thinking about another drama of his to watch. jinyoung perfectly shows the charm of kim gaon. almost makes me think the role is made to suit him. it's probably because he's great at portraying the charming young good-looking judge who lives his life based on textbooks. who's trying to change the world and believes his actions, no matter how small, is impactful. i know he looks good ever since i saw got7 contents back when i was in high school. as i watch the drama, i got to think if he was this good-looking. it's probably the judge charm. men with an astounding communication ability has its way on me.

kim minjung. oh my god. oh my GOD. i was in love with her during mr. sunshine. if femme fatale was a word, it has got to be her and the characters she portray. i personally dislike jung sunah. she's what people call a viper. jung sunah though, reminds me of a siren. i don't know why. she doesn't really lure people. she's just a good negotiator. there's something i despise about her slow yet killer movements, her tender yet malicious mouth movements, flicks of fingers, half smirks. trying to withstand her half squeaky half whispering ways of speaking, i ponder if i've ever hated a character this much before.

the everyone-ends-up-dead ending would have been beautiful. it would have been neater. ending things right then and there is my go-to way. throughout the 16 episodes of yohan’s rage and pain, i’m made to acknowledge this ending suits better. because after all those afflictions, the devil deserves some good too.

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my take on the winter garden, hospital playlist

i’ve written about this on my twitter account but i want to write it here too so i could look into it when i wanted to. this is not just an kdrama review blog. this is my online journal that i happen to share with everyone who comes accross with it. 

i think winter garden is adored so much by most hospital playlist viewers because there’s a gyeoul in most of us. a shy crush. an adoration that was never too brave to came out of our lips. a subtle wish to end up with someone who was once looked perfect, almost with no flaw, in our eyes. maybe gyeoul is the teenage dream we never realized we missed. 

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beyond evil (2021) / ★★★★★

psychological thriller isn’t really my best cup of tea. probably because it requires braincells to understand the work. but of course i’m giving a baeksang arts awards winner a chance. 

to be frank, there are still some parts i can’t quite get my head wrapped around. i lost focus every now and then watching it (partly because of yeo jin goo’s looks being served as a whole meal with ruffled hair style and extremely straight personality).

the drama gives you a slight slice of life with a closer-than-family neighborhood background. but that’s what it is, though. nothing more than a background. every person in the neighborhood is drawn to have a backstory, a motive. everyone is a piece. a pawn (i don’t play chess).

the writers and director has a way with making the viewers think they know something. they think they figure out or at least could guess who the culprit is, and then they create a totally different scene. it’s not even a twist. it felt more like a slap in the face because you tried to keep guessing instead of watching the drama moves by itself.

shin ha kyun, on the other hand, deserves the loudest claps an auditorium of artistic people could give. i believe. the looks he served (and i mean literal looks, the one they usually describe as soul-piercing, laser-beaming in books) throughout the drama. i did not exaggerate one bit when i say i had shivers whenever he laughed or smiled. he showed laughter and smirks and slight smiles in this oddly cold way that you feel weird seeing them. it feels like walking alone at night in an empty road after trying to study with your friends (and you’ve failed because studying with friends usually end in talks and meals anyways). the analogy was weird but just go along. i feel like the term ‘nut case’ couldn’t match his character (lee dong sik) better. i think he received an award for this one? 

yeo jin goo, the partner. i really have to get this out but does anyone also see bts kim taehyung in jin goo? maybe it’s the hair? the side profile? the way he talks? i keep seeing taehyung in him throughout the drama i almost think i missed watching bts contents. i don’t think i’ve watched other works with him involved before. but i have to say, the man caught my attention. his character (han ju won) here was the usual best-selling character in kdrama universe if such thing exists. the superior type: attractive man with unresolved trauma and ugly relationship with his dad who’s usually either a hotshot or a disgustingly rich jackass. with the cold, i-know-everything-because-i-was-brought-better-than-you attitude, the man managed to make you feel things. more like pissed on one episode and then shocked, sometimes followed by adoration. 

i feel sorry about not knowing the other actors but this one’s for nam yoon su. because you have to write about the cute guy with irresistible dimples. that’s like the common rule of existing in the harsh world. as a rookie actor (not really rookie to me because i’ve seen him in extracurricular before and he was also amazing there). his character didn’t stood up so much here, but he was this comfort character you had to see. and i’m SO glad he wasn’t a blank character. the way i almost felt like i fell in love watching the cremating scene.

shall we start on the other characters and plots? my pitiful brain couldn’t manage to remember every one of them, of course. but i AM absolutely loving the details. kang jin mook apparently has tics (if i’m not mistaken i’m sorry it has been a year since i’ve taken a neuropsychiatry class), and they showed details on how people with tics could have the symptoms milder when they’re focused. the movements or manifestations could be worse depending on their mental state or any other stimulus. park jeong je might or might not have a ptsd (not really sure about this, let me check on dsm), the way his brain could only recall some parts of a memory because a big chunk of it was very traumatic. 

it’s getting too long now, hope i could plug in a specific scene i love.

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one spring night (2019) / ★★★✩✩

i guess the idea of dating a man with a kid is better to me than dating a younger man lmao. 

even from the first episode, this drama seems familiar. the shots. the music. so i looked it up a bit and turns out the director is the same as something in the rain (which i have also seen and written about). but yes, i like this one better. 

some points that catch my eye because of their similarity: the kind of shot that is almost the same as how our eyes catch things (the somewhat unfocused yet focused points when we look at things), the songs that just start and stop (without fade in or fade out like other k-dramas), also the songs that are not korean and sound a bit retro, some scenes that are made into slow motion (is this how you call it?) and give out a calm... vibe(?) (sleepy in my case because i don’t really enjoy watching slow moving couple activities but if that’s on your plate, then... i guess you’d like this more than i do).

there are more tears in this drama. and i get that. there are stories in this drama that just frustate you. there’s just one scene that made me cry. it’s the last one where they had a meal together.

i guess the director and writers like writing it from the woman’s pov. though, not all scenes in this drama are focused on the women and centered on them only. but the way the story flow, the way the emotions were shown, they were mostly showed through the women’s emotions. and yes i’m not supposed to generalize how women handle things, but uh, if you watch this you’ll get what i mean by the director focusing the story from women’s pov. 

additional points: i like this drama’s ost better because they have no lyrics like “cause after all, he’s just a man” whack

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a korean odyssey (2017) / ★★✩✩✩

i could feel the goblin vibes even just from the synopsis, but, how do i say this? this drama is like... the cheap comedy version of it. 

which is probably good if you have a thing for those genres. not for me, though. i like mine with plot i could get sucked into, funny lines that are not exaggerated, and so yeah. 

maybe because of the name?? i can’t take this drama seriously because i’m familiar with the characters’ names (if you’re indonesian, you might know kera sakti lmao. if you dont... well uh we probably just have a big age gap)

lee seung gi’s acting was not disappointed though. he sure played well being a playful jerk who behaves daily like an asshole we (or maybe just me?) used to adore in high school movies. 

and i have adored oh yeon seo’s because of her character in my sassy girl (the drama, not the jun ji hyun movie). but i’m not very fond of hers in this one. she said she was strong but then she got scared so much (and i know that being strong doesn’t equal not having any fear). i mean, you said you were a fighter???

the only funny character i genuinely laughed at was cha seung won’s. either he’s that ridiculously eccentric and funny irl (i dont think so because i’ve watched three meals a day) or he’s just extremely good at acting crazy. also, the other character i find very important: kim seung oh’s. the man is the only sane AND logical person in that drama. i appreciate him. 

and the CGs. good lord heavens, the graphic work in this drama!!!! it’s so... shit. i feel like i have no right to say this because i’m not good with computers either and i know how difficult it is. but it’s so... ugly :( to the point where it’s difficult to see without cringing. i mean Goblin did it!! goblin had CGs of ghosts, of like supernatural powers vibes coming out of someone, of some God’s magic. but it was nowhere near cringey as this one. maybe that’s also another reason why i can’t focus. 

the storyline... well, not as shitty as the CG. it was rather good. if only i could focus more. but i couldn’t lmao. so i put this drama on as a background noise. 

in conclusion, how i see it, this drama is like goblin’s cheap comedy, low budgeted version of it. with a total different storyline, yet the same concept. (you get me, fantasy-romance, splash of comedy etc etc). would i rewatch? not even if i get a free netflix subscription for a year.  

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vincenzo (2021)

a follow-up post because i seriously have to talk about this. putting in another post because this one contains spoilers. also i need to know is there a change in kopiko’s sales after they show up in this drama?

ok so you know the last part right (the last episode) when vincenzo’s supposed to leave and become... unheard. i loved that ending. things were meant to be like that all along, anyways. he was just going to come for some gold, get shits done, and then poof. that’s it. i think it’s because i feel uneasy when things don’t go as planned but at that scene where vincenzo and lawyer cha young met at the gallery, i am not.... feeling it. 

but then HE SAID HE MISSED HER AND ????? THE FREAKING LINE “이제 느껴저요?” “can you feel it now? (that i missed you)” SUDDENLY THE CHEESY ENDING MAKES TOTAL SENSE TO ME. OK. I GAVE IN MY PLANNING-OBSESSED ASS. AND JUST. SAID “okay!!! this scene is Important!” because of that line. 

can you feel it now? (how much i adore this drama)

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vincenzo (2021) / ★★★★★

is this song joong ki’s drama comeback? is there any drama with him involved that’s not a hit? genuinely asking because this drama is That good i want to watch it again (not immediately of course i’m not obsessed or anything) (or am i?)

is there anything, name literally a better combination, that is better than action + crime AND comedy??? Nothing. except maybe the pandemic ending and we all get back to our normal lives without losing more lives, hurting more people, and damaging every aspect of living humans’ hands can ever touch (a moment of prayers also get vaccinated, loves!)

god, where do i begin with this drama. first of all, no characters is a waste of character. you know what i mean when a character is just meant to be a topping but doesn’t necessarily support the story or anything so they’re just there as if to give ad libs or more screen time for the main characters. vincenzo literally gives you a bunch of characters you will absolutely adore, hate, eventually grow to adore, eventually grow to hate. 

the storyline. it will not bore you. at least it didn’t bore me at all. it drives you in because you want to know, nope you Need to know what happens next while at the same time you hate for it to end because it’s so good. plot twists exist. but they’re not the grand kind of plot twists that give you the most alternate ending. it’s just small ones, slipped here and there. which anyways i find quite enjoyable because that way viewers won’t lose the grasp on the main storyline. 

the casts. man. every single cast of this drama. i’ve only seen jeon yeo bin on secret zoo and the woman literally acts as a sloth and hangs on a tree throughout the movie but damn, the woman is irresistible. and the scene where they do the 설렘 트스트 WTF WHY IS IT SO CUTE what do you mean you have to Hug the cute mafia because you want to know whether you’re starting to have feelings? WHAT kind of defense mechanism is that? (which at that time i thought was a not so bad idea but then i remembered i am traumatized by men and if i ever think about falling for some men other than kim dong hee or lee do hyun or any of my kpop boys, i hope someone slaps my back so hard i start hating on men again). no but for real, every cast of this drama is genuinely funny. maybe that’s why the comedy scenes feel almost natural. you know how some dramas try to be funny but it just won’t show. this drama literally gives you funny scenes without being exaggerated. it gets you laughing without giving you overboard jokes or too much... funniness. i’m starting to speak nonsense but if you watched it, you’d get me. go look vincenzo x 출장 십오야 on youtube and see for yourself how the casts naturally go along with each other and naturally funny that i (a variety show watcher, even when i’m going to sleep) somehow think they might have a knack for variety shows. 

you might think my favorite character would be song joong ki’s. because there’s no way you won’t fall in love with a good-looking mafia who knows how to torture someone so they can taste every second of their death coming, right. right? there’s something undeniably charming about men who kill people in a beautiful way, almost artistic (i think the writers and producers binge watch MOST HORRIFYING TORTURE DEVICES IN 100 BC and then dump it on this drama, this is not a complaint by the way). my favorite was kwak dong yeon’s. jang han seo was just, i dont know, pure? innocent? dumb? i think i might have a thing for billionaires with half-functioning brains (not literally), maybe that’s how i could get their assets easier (joking) (maybe not). 

i’m just gonna end it right here and hope there’s enough space for me to upload the scene i’ll forever love. 

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law school (2021) / ★★★★★

looking for a cute law school boyfriend. requirement: kim beom. you know, if you fit in the criteria, just, send a dm or a dana kaget link. 

seeing the first episodes (i think maybe just the first), it immediately gets me thinking of how to get away with murder. the law school background, the five students that stand out (or more?), the infamous killer professor that everyone seems to despise and love at the same time, the problems that circulate weirdly just between them. in conclusion they’re just similar, almost identical. 

i guess i’m just too stupid for this drama that i feel it’s unfinished. some problems are just left... there. untangled. and some solutions pop out of nowhere. there are just some things that need more pieces to be clicked but this drama seems to rush them and just throw them hoping it’ll connect by themselves (it does not). 

i watched them a few weeks ago so i forgot what my favorite and least part is. i can even barely remember the key stories (see? the effects of unfinished plot? see what i’m talking about)

i mean i’m sorry i wanted to write a better review but i guess i’m just gonna say law school is good. the problems are lighter than how to get away with murder (fewer season also!). but it’s just, not... memorable enough. doesn’t leave that much impression on me. there. 

no wait i might have not remembered my favorite scene but at least there’s this scene that gets me go eh? while watching it. there’s this scene where they just lay around (on grass! didn’t know korean grass was clean and safe i thought asian countries have the same grass we do here, consist mostly of dirt and biting ants). so they’re all lying down right... and then they start citing... famous law quotes, i guess? i don’t know. i don’t even get the purpose of that scene. was that meant to be touching? is that particular scene brings the fighting spirit in law school students? does that make you want to like, bring justice to every single organism. that certainly doesn’t hit it for me. i’d love hearing how law school people think of it though. do they actually lay on the ground drunk teary-eyed citing quotes???

imagine me citing the penicillin professor, man (alexander fleming, by the way, i just looked him up). that would be hilariously depressing on my case because my ass can’t even memorize my exam outlines. if i manage to remember any of the famous quotes, you know what to do (call my therapist).

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sweet and sour / ★★★★★

i am SO sorry for thinking this was just another light movie trying to romanticize cheating and apologize cheaters.

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designated survivor 60 days / ★★★★★

it’s good. but i’m just too dumb for these social sciences stuff. just as much as i am dumb on natural sciences stuff.

there’s something about men and women wearing beautiful suits talking about serious matters, you know? i never knew government (only the president and those around them, in fact) consist of that many people???

the story is definitely good. i would’ve understood it better if only i didn’t get distracted so much. maybe because there are too many characters, that i get... confused a lot of times. i mean when they say general lee, general eun, i was always... who? which old man was it? (no shaming intended. they were really old men. very nice representative of the politicians i see on tv btw)

but, as much as it is serious, i love that it doesn’t forget to slip in some light comedies. not really comedy just.. bits of laughs and chuckles. it works to tone the seriousness down a bit. so my brain (who started watching for pleasure) didn’t suffer too much for thinking throughout the drama. i love the secretariat staffs. edit: i LOVE them. THE SUPERIOR TROPE, ENEMIES TO LOVERS, THE SECRETARIAT STAFFS. i am: Loving it to bits. but also i want to know, how did it end?????? SIR??? you can’t leave me hanging with that kind of stuff. 

i understand that this was a western series adaptation and the original series itself had like? 5 seasons. so wanting it to be compact as a 1 season (thus the 60 days) might seem like an idealist idea. i sort of expected the shallow representation of characters (not as in personality). i mean their existence itself that i consider important, but the drama just chooses to kill them off. but yeah, compact. 

ji jin hee was very mesmerizing. i watched him in misty (which i haven’t finished) and move to heaven. i think he’s just cut out for charismatic roles. as well as son seok koo (lord how i love this chief of secretary’s passive aggressiveness) and kang hanna. lee moo saeng too. i think the blue house’s spokeperson and choi yoonyoung’s are two of my most favorite characters. 

also the emotions they didn’t fail to drown you in. i guess that’s how i tell how good a drama is. if it makes me as angry, as sad, as happy as how they want me to be, it’s good. i would’ve felt more emotional over some scenes if only i were more focused (sorry lol a girl has to write thesis proposal). 

as someone who’s very blind to politics (i’m still learning bits by bits through news and youtube videos), it’s very nice to have a drama that can visualize how government works. realizing how shitty the system can be. how it’s almost impossible to have a leader who works entirely for the sake of people whose lives lie in their decisions. sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s eye-opening and heart-breaking at the same time. 

whoever is having second thoughts to watch it, yes, it’s not the usual light drama you can watch while doing other things. in fact, the main topic they put on screen is a heavy one. but i don’t think you’ll regret your decision to watch. the way i didn’t regret mine. 

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move to heaven (2021) / ★★★★★

and i Know i said mouse was the Best drama i’ve watched this year. but hear me out. lee je hoon. 

i Would literally pay for this drama to have more episodes. do you get me?? I DONT WANT THIS DRAMA TO END WHILE I’M WATCHING THIS. it’s That good. it brought you laughs (because some scenes are funny, some are cute, and some... are just that good that make you at least twitch a smile), tears (three to four glasses of it, in my case), maybe a tad of anger.

i don’t know why this drama gets me feeling some ‘extracurricular’ vibes. probably because of the limited number of episodes and the kind of shots that are different than usual dramas. genre is totally different so if you aren’t into extracurricular, i’m still recommending this to you.

i should’ve trusted lee je hoon. i should Have trusted the man who got me hooked on his time travelling dramas (tomorrow with you, signal) (very recommended too, by the way). i don’t know why i didn’t watch right away when the suggestion popped up on my netflix dashboard (most likely because of the lingering birthday blues that made me lose my will to do anything but we aren’t going to talk about it in details). 

getting back to one of the actors i adore, lee je hoon do not disappoint. i Love his character in this one, too. he’s great at portraying the playful, sometimes annoying, but not at all hateful character (he’s always been great at portraying his characters, if we’re being honest here). the playful side, the annoying smoker side, the... adorable uncle side (the way he calls himself 삼촌 at some scenes?!!?!?). (at this point, i can safely say lee je hoon is my ideal type)

tang joon sang. i don’t know much about Asperger’s Syndrome (which got me interested by the way, after watching), but tang joon sang surely succeeds in playing his role. i feel like if i were friends with han geu-ru (his character), i would have no other choice but to adore him also. it must’ve had its difficulties, yet he managed to portray it beautifully, not to mention the chemistry between him and lee je hoon, hong seung hee (the actress who plays yoon namu). 

slice of life has always been my favorite. it’s always been this cabinet i keep safe and i turn back to when i’m not interested in other dramas. it has been a comfort genre for me. but i don’t know, i feel like move to heaven is this warm, simple, beautiful drama i will adore. the genuinely funny lines, the stories that we can see slipped between our own everyday lives, the characters that you can probably see in your next-door neighbor (no spoiler intended). i guess maybe because i watch this teary-eyed, looking for the will to get up and forcing myself to live (because another block is about to start. yay me), i loved move to heaven even more for the one extra cup of warmth it delivered. 

more reasons to watch: lee jaewook!!!!!!, pentagon hongseok!!!!!, basically just one of the most simple yet beautiful drama in 2021 by far. 

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mouse (2021) / ★★★★★

hands down the BEST drama within the first half of 2021. and no i dont take other opinions.

i kept saying “god they’ve made this so well” throughout the drama so i think that’s enough to say how good the drama is. i love mystery, thriller-smelling drama (signal, tunnel, partners for justice, and the friends), so yes, of course i was pumped over this (not to mention the hype on twitter). but maybe because of how much it gets talked about, i lost the chance to feel the shock when i found out who the real culprit is (there are a lot of shocking twists left, so don’t worry if you haven’t watched).

anyways, i’m gonna try my best to not spoil that much. i’m just gonna write in what i find interesting, what i love so much about the drama and what made me willing to watch for hours. 

the details. god the details. mouse didn’t only give you bare details, it didn’t only show it on screen and hope that your eyes catch them. they give you the details. every clue, every little piece of a drama (as little as a necklace and a brooch) is shown to you through stories, through conversations. which could get you wondering if it’s just a complimentary scene to fulfill the air time (IT IS NOT). 

the science fiction (kind of). i don’t really know if brain transplantation is already accessible for us (neuroanatomy has never been my favorite), and if someone really dies because of the after-effect (which means the procedure itself is a failure). but some part of it were true, though. genetics of a psychopath, they say. i mean there’s a mental health condition (or disease?) for it. conduct disorder which could progress into anti-social personality disorder (i think ted bundy had it? i’m sorry i had psychiatry last block and my brain already forgot most of it. studying has never been my source of joy). i don’t really know if the disease progressed from gene mutations but it doesn’t feel wrong to think so (after all, genetics have always been one big... ribbon? proteins? of mystery).

the plot. i woke up from my position (lying on the cold floor, bad for your back though) when they unraveled the reason behind the culprit’s crimes (in this case, of course, murder). and it’s just a mere psychopathic drama but i don’t know man it just??? makes sense?. i kept saying “god they made this so well” throughout this scene because i adored it so much. reminded me of Dan Brown’s books, for a little pinch of tmi. i also like how they drive the viewers into thinking what they wanted us to (please watch them and you’ll get what i’m saying once you think the culprit is A and then maybe it’s A and then doesn’t look like it and wait is it A? no it is not). this is the right time to praise the writers, the director, and whoever is working for this drama. god they made this so well. 

now, for the parts i don’t like. i hate that they just... kill the characters they consider useless for the plot. sure it might be good but it’s just... i don’t know, doesn’t feel right. it somehow looks like they’re too lazy to develop the character’s story to reach the end so instead they choose to kill them, some even in ways that are uncreative (sad to see you go, shin sang detective). personal opinion but po should get more police roles. 

the last episode, though, didn’t give me the enjoyment, excitement, nor relief that i thought i would at least experience. perhaps the waiting got me losing all those expectations. perhaps how i predicted the story crushed my own expectations. but if you’re only going to watch now, i think you would have a better experience than i did, assuming that if i didn’t get halted only after the 19th and before the 20th i would feel way way more euphoric. no, seriously, this is the drama i would suggest to people (even those who have just started watching k-dramas)

maybe i will attach one of my favorite clips of the drama. once i’m not lazy. once the slump of thesis-writing has been lifted from my tips of fingers and non-genius brain. 

[perqedel]

mr. queen (2020) / ★★★★★

if you think about it, uh, mr. queen is just a funny gay love story.

i’ve had a slump (can you call it a slump when you can’t get interested in any drama even though you used to Love that hobby of yours? or is it just my mental getting extremely tired that i lost interest in so much things lately?) for some time. this is the drama that dragged me-all laughing, crying, getting angry-out. tried watching a lot before and mr. queen was the one who did it.

where do i begin? i just Love this so much. oh my god. even the concept of A MAN, A PLAYER AT THAT, BEING IN A WOMAN, A QUEEN BACK IN THE JOSEON ERA’S BODY. that’s just??? fresh. i’m pretty sure i haven’t watched every body swap k-drama that exists but this has got to be a drama that tops all of them. 

i was (and still) confused about the queen dowager and the grand queen dowager (thought they were married at first? but royals probably didn’t have legal gay marriage back then right?). the way the plots kept getting you “wait what? they weren’t [insert some context]?”. an example: i thought the king was dumb. well he kind of was, at some scenes. but he WAS NOT dumb when he made a ‘queen’s dictionary’ (dude if someone ever made a dictionary filled with every weird words i speak, i’d fall so hard i’d let a Man break me again) (on a second thought, maybe not the break me part. that shit leaves you traumatized). kim jung hyun portrays the king well honestly, he’s genuinely funny and stupid in goofy scenes. intimidating in angry scenes. and he can deliver cheesy lines with a very straight face????? honestly? adorable. the “you know i’m your anti-fan, right?” part because he really thought anti-fan is a closer spirit guide!!!!!!!!!! 

the cooking scenes!!!! genuine question in which point of history did it change? because clearly in this drama they underestimated her with the usual cheap insult “women aren’t supposed to be in the kitchen!!” but today’s cheap insult, usually and almost always thrown by men who are insecure about women’s achievements, were “go back to the kitchen”. seriously, when and why did it change? shin hye sun though oh Lord the gorgeous queen. i love HOW she could act into this... you know, your usual polite, kind, warm queen and then a scene later, a cocky (probably gen-z) lady who uses the word “짬바” and “이생망”. the queen is fun but the interactions with her court maids?????? DOUBLE THE FUN. i think this is one of those dramas where i love every character Equally (except that evil assasin man who i thought had parkinson or something, turns out he was just addicted) (but then again, rehab probably didn’t exist back then). 

the cousin who smells very... incest to me. he kind of looks like gong-myung. and the women who keep getting me enraged throughout the 20 episodes, jo hwa jin, the shaman lady, and the obsessed with face-lifting lady. i just hate people who acts all innocent topped with the usual “i’m the victim in all this mess and i’m Hurting more than any of you” and then manages to do the shittiest thing my brain could every think of. i think it’s also nice that mr. queen portrays it as it is: just because a good person is in the highest seat, that doesn’t guarantee the people who work for them is also as good, free from corruption or really think about the people. some people forget how to be human when they’ve tasted power. no one in the government should have your 100% trust. we’re humans, after all. the lust and greed take over more often than not. 

if you think period drama (사극) is a heavy genre. i think, mr. queen, undoubtedly, is a good first step. it’s light, fun, serious but not that serious, and it leaves an impression. i wonder how i could watch another period drama after this. 

[perqedel]

geez and ann (2021) / ★✩✩✩✩

it’s actually 1.5 but i there’s no half star.

this was meant to be my blog of kdrama and kmovie reviews but i missed writing non-academic stuffs so let’s go

i hope i won’t get attacked for this but Good Lord the cringe that creeps on me while i was watching this movie... simply said, this movie just doesn’t suit me. maybe because i can’t relate to the story anymore (which i should’ve could because i might have one or two experiences similar to it), but idk??? it’s just too... cheesy at some scenes. too superficial at another. too... bland. too.. much?

some scenes just irk me too much though. to the point i’m now writing it into a post so i could let it out (ha ha ha)

1. the “dengerin deh, gue record ini” scenes: that’s...  borderline creepy???!!? if a guy you barely know follows you around, waits for you in a public transportation, gives you an earphone out of nowhere. my suggestion, girls: RUN. call a friend. ask them to accompany you home. that’s not cute at all. at least for me, someone who has an experience living alone away from home (read: rantau)

2. the “SELAMAT YA!! KAMU SUDAH MERUSAK HUBUNGAN KELUARGA SAYA!” scene: i literally went ????? watching it lmaaao. not to mention the bland ass acting the mother gave. i was raised in a strict household (proof: i don’t even know what i want to do now) too and i know a few people who are in the same position. but no parents talk like that lmao. also the yelling to a stranger (a TEENAGER) in a public place is so freaking weird wtf.  girl where tf did you get raised? you studied in a foreign country, you know how embarrassing it is. family therapy is definitely the ingredient they lack here.

3. the crying scenes: ANN DEADASS CRIED IN A BATHUB FULLY CLOTHED??? kan ya sayang bajunya toh cah ayu :( they showed a scene of her praying in the beginning. why didn’t they make a scene of her crying in between her prayers??? (as someone who had been in a painful situation, crying while you beg your God to ease any pain, to give you any strength to barely take a step. those whispered wishes hit really different).

4. the “kenapa kamu baru kembali setelah aku sudah berjanji ke orang lain” scene: WTF IS GOING ON HERE??????!!?!??!! something’s definitely not clicking. as someone who got treated like actual shit because her partner couldn’t decide between two relationships or at least find a way between the two, Ann surely couldn’t learn anything??? Girl. you know better to not get into a new relationship when you have unsettled ones.

i love the details though. i love that the actors don’t get polished too much. you could see their skin conditions. the real ones. the acnes. the greasy hair. no irrational body types. some things just don’t... look real enough though. sure ann has a major heartbreak, but if you’re a medical student, heartbreaks tend to be easier to forget. or at least put aside. guess what? because your brain has A LOT MORE to memorize and do. diagnosis algorithms???? pharmaceutical dosages???? neoplastic cells??????? OSCE?????? first love 은 무슨... you have practical examinations next week, followed by a block exam in another.

at the end, geez and ann are just two selfish assholes who think their relationship is this “worth fighting for” love. no. you’re all immature. none of you puts up enough fight to at least be with each other. none of you has enough courage to walk away, despite knowing there’s no way you two can be together. both of them are stuck in the highschool-love-fantasy while they’re dreaming of mature relationships. no part of this movie is dreamy. if this could be made into a better plot, i wish it could’ve shown how walking away from any relationship that drains you is not a sin. it’s an act of love to yourself.