#jeon woo sung

[stuff-diary]

Bargain

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Bargain (2022, South Korea)

Director: Jeon Woo Sung

Writers: Jeon Woo Sung, Choi Byeong Yun & Kwak Jae Min (based on the short film by Lee Chung Hyun)

Mini-review:

I have to say I loved how batshit crazy and unhinged this drama is. You can never really know what it's going to throw at you next, and I feel like that's very hard to achieve these days. Beyond that, the drama makes brilliant use of its long single-take, real-time scenes, which make you feel like you're right there with the characters. The sets are also incredible, and they make the whole thing feel so claustrophobic (in a good way, I guess). On top of that, Jeon Jong Seo, Jin Seok Kyu and Chang Ryul give three show-stopping performances that certainly rank among the very best of their careers. Tbh, I can understand why many people disliked it (the characters tend to ramble, the epilogue feels very unnecesary and sometimes it gets a bit too crazy), but I personally enjoyed every second of Bargain.

[chasingm00n]

"We're back!"

Episode 1 | THE FIERY PRIEST 2 (2024) dir. Park Bo-ram

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama May 2024 💚

1/5: Frankly Speaking with Go Kyung Pyo, Kang Han Na. 12 episodes; rom-com.

4/5: the Atypical Family with Chun Woo Hee, Jang Ki Yong. 12 episodes, fantasy, romance, action.

11/5: the Midnight Romance with Jung Ryeo Won, Wi Ha Joon, So Joo Yun. 16 episodes; romance.

13/5: Crash with Lee Min Ki, Kwak Sun Young, Heo Sung Tae. 12 episodes; thriller, mystery, comedy.

13/5: Dare to Love Me with Kim Myung Soo, Lee Yoo Young. 16 episodes; rom-com.

15/5: Uncle Samsik with Song Kang Ho, Byun Yo Han, Lee Kyu Hyung. 16 episodes; business drama.

17/5: the 8 Show with Ryu Joon Yul, Chun Woo Hee, Park Jong Min. 8 episodes; thriller, psychological.

22/5: Not Very Strong, but Attractive Homicide Squad with Park Se Wan, Kim Dong Wook. 12 episodes; mystery, comedy.

24/5: Bitter Sweet Hell with Kim Hee Sun, Lee Hye Young, Kim Nam Hee. 12 episodes; thriller, mystery, comedy.

24/5: Connection with Ji Sung, Jeon Mi Do, Kwon Yul. 16 episodes; thriller, mystery.

Many new dramas! And so little time...

[ikjun]

THE FIERY PRIEST / 열혈사제 (2019) dir. Lee Myung-woo, Park Bo-ram

[tarzinnia]

The fight for justice starts with a little invitation...

...because evil is prevalent and vehement.

Here's a reminder that Season 2 of The Fiery Priest is scheduled to air on Friday, November 8, 2024 in South Korea. The Fiery Priest is the second of Park Jae-Beom's "Justice Trilogy" as it's frequently called (Chief Kim aka Good Manager ; The Fiery Priest; Vincenzo in order of release) and I would love an invitation into screenwriter Park's brain because his creations are so very very good.

On this blog, I frequently talk about movies but dramas, specifically "kdramas," are another delight and from script to director(s) to casting to cinematography and soundtrack, this trilogy holds a special place for me. I think I could write a novel on the themes and scenes in Vincenzo alone. When not only the titular character but the entire cast keeps you watching, you know it's the good stuff. So happy all three shows were twenty episodes and didn't follow the more current trend of shortening the season. The slow character development enabled the viewer to discover individual stories without muddying up the plot too much.

I'm looking forward to watching as soon as Season 2 of The Fiery Priest is available for me to view, and if you haven't seen any of the above shows, I recommend them!

*Pictured above: Kim Nam-Gil as Father Kim (top) and Song Joong-Ki as Vincenzo. Two unconventional "heroes" fighting the good fight.

[somanykdramas]

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR: 60 DAYS

GENRES: Drama, Political Procedural

SUMMARY: A temporary acting President has to deal with keeping a country afloat amid a crisis, internal espionage, and new suits.

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Dust particles, botched press conferences, testy teens, VIPs, bombings, assassinations, military intrigue, national abandonment, hacking, camping, and eyeglasses.

HOT TAKE: I have not yet seen the American version of this show, but damn, this was a democratic rollercoaster of an experience. Everyone is out to win something whether it's an improved South Korea, dirty revenge, or just maintaining some semblance of governmental sanity.

This show has a real 'let's use the same 3 hallway sets over and over again' problem, but the familiar environments just made me care that much more about the acting masterclasses happening between their walls.

[kactors-kpop-kdrama]

[whumpetywhump]

Favourite Trope: Held Hostage (159/?) First Responders 2 - Ep. 11

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[quarter-lif3crisis]

Save Me (2017)

[fansof-heo]

Ah, I missed this one 😭💖

[nine-frames]

몸값 (Momgap - Bargain), 2023.

Dir. Woo-Sung Jeon | Writ. Byeongyun Choi, Woo-Sung Jeon & Kwak Jae-min | DOP Kim Yeong-ho & Yoo Young-gi

[moviemosaics]

Cobweb

directed by Kim Jee-woon, 2023

[ikjun]

Ji-Won, we can only trust each other right now.

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR: 60 DAYS / 60일, 지정생존자 (2019) Ep 8: Doubt, dir. Yoo Jong-sun

[asian-cine-phile]

BEASTS CLAWING AT STRAWS 지푸라기라도 잡고 싶은 짐승들 (2020) dir. kim young hoon

[stuff-diary]

Wedding Impossible

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Wedding Impossible (2024, South Korea)

Director: Kwon Young Il

Writers: Oh Hye Won & Park Seul Ki (based on the webtoon by Song Jung Won)

Mini-review:

Well, this drama was entertaining, but nothing more. It was especially funny at the beginning, thanks to that sort of 'rivalry' between the leads. However, once they solved that and started moving into purely romantic territory, the story began to lose steam quickly. Tbh, I kept watching to the very end because of the sizzling chemistry between Jeon Jong Seo and Moon Sang Min. And I guess I wanted to see how in the world they were gonna clear up the mess created by the characters, which was pretty fascinating. I feel like the show would have been better if the director had put more thought into its style, cause the whole thing looked pretty cheap and bland. But still, Wedding Impossible is fun enough, and I can see fans of classic romcoms enjoying it a lot.

[somanykdramas]

DIARY OF A PROSECUTOR

GENRES: Legal Procedural, Comedy

SUMMARY: Being a prosecutor in Seoul comes with a lot of national clout. Being a prosecutor in a small seaside town...is important too.

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Bosses in bicycle shorts, working moms, binge drinking, gaming alter egos, secluded mountain Hwatu gambling rings, 11-year old bullies, failed stewardess hook-ups, secret bars, dried pollack and somaek, exhalted university trinkets, office turtlenecks, and rooftop rendezvous.

HOT TAKE: No hooks or tropes here, just a run-of-the-mill prosecutor drama that breaks the 4th wall a few times to remind you how absurd humanity is.