#ji il joo

[namjhyun]

DRAMA REVIEW | Lovely Runner (2024)

Lovely Runner it's undoubtedly one of the best dramas of 2024.

It has all the elements that make a drama a mega hit: comedy, romance, time travel, well written characters (both leads and supporting ones) and an engaging plot line that never bores you. Starring Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok, adapted from the web novel The Best of Tomorrow by screenwriter Lee Shi Eun and directed by Yoon Jong Ho and Kim Tae Yub, the Lovely Runner team achieved a perfect execution in front and behind the camera.

I think the true star of this drama it's the writing and on this I can't commend Lee Si Eun enough. I had already seen her potential in dramas like True Beauty but here she really manages to shine through a well crafted, smart and cohesive story with no loose ends. I'm incredibly impressed by her talent.

The writing was perfectly complemented by the directors's outstanding work in leading a film crew that was on every detail of each part of the story, in each timeline, never missing a beat. Always delivering their A+++ game. But there was also great work done from the directors part in helping the actors get the comedic timing exactly right, the more emotional scenes to deliver and the team work among cast and crew to be flawless.

Lovely Runner might be a big hit now, but it's actually a sleeper hit. The lack of promotion this drama had was embarrassing and if it wasn't for the devoted fans, studio executives would have never realized they had a gem in their hands. So, it's not only a great drama with a super fandom that really fought for this story, it's also becoming yet another prime example in the list of films and tv that achieved all of it by themselves because artists delivered nothing short of excellence.

On this point I can't ignore the incredible performances given by the entire cast. Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok are definitely the standouts, they stole the show, this is their story and the actors chemistry it's electrifying. But the way supportive actors would show up in a scene and push the story forward in a coherent way and even make it better, it's wild to me. The chemistry this cast had it's a rare feat for an ensamble cast and how they managed to transition seamlessly through different phases of their characters's lives and relationships when events, in each timeline, were changing because of the things our leads did they still remain truthful. So, not only the leads are well developed in this drama but also every single character that shows up, no matter how small the role is.

The best example of this it's actor Heo Hyeong-Gyu who has been working for sixteen years, playing very minor characters, finally having a breakthrough in the industry because of his role in this drama. And while his presence was prominent and important to the story, he barely had lines. So his entire performance is mainly based on micro-expressions or physical stunts.

I also fully expect the actors like Song Geon-Hee, Lee Seung-Hyub, Song Ji-Ho or Seo Hye-won to receive a lot of what korean entertainment industry calls "love calls" aka commercials, dramas and films, among other things.

Experiencing watching Lovely Runner alongside the fandom, waiting every week for a new episode, it's a big part of what made this drama so good. Healthy and good loving fun people, clowning, poking fun at our faves and crying at heartbreak. It's been a long time since I have been able to engage in this way with other fans and I am thankful for them, the cast and crew for all these amazing weeks of fun.

Rating: 10/10

[voidincinema]

The Glory (2023)

[filministic]

Deo geullori (2022)

[youknowihavenochingu]

The Glory

(netflix series 2022 -1st part/8 episodes)

Song Hye kyo's iconic acting

The storyline is so good, heavy subject but so addictive, you'll binge watch it for sure

Lee Do Hyun!!!

The villains, wow, especially Yeon Jin, the devil herself; and I need a leading role for Kim Hieora

THIS SCENE

Hyeom Nam , she is everything 😍

Their chemistry even if he's not the lead, we need another drama with these two

The past and present cast is perfection

The cinematography is 🤌❤

[suavis-nook]

T H E G L O R Y 2022 || directed by Ahn Gil-ho

ah Yeo-jeong ! what a mystery you still are! starting off at the hospital, which still hasn't been fully explained. golden retriever energy and yet not really.

[eveneechan]

The Color Concept on Little Women (2022)

Part 1: Princess of Thieves

The Princess of Thieves Orchid have 2 colors: Pink and Purple

Which is the color of dress that Injoo and Hwayoung wear during Singapore climax scene

Injoo: Pink

Hwayoung: Purple

Pink as Injoo's color

Pink orchid have meaning: Romance, Love, Friendship

Injoo's main plot always not far from her sisters and Hwayoung. Her love for them is driving force that keep made Injoo move foward

Purple as Hwayoung's color

Purple orchid have meaning: Wisdom, Intellegence, MYSTERY

Wisdom: Hwayoung is Injoo's senior at workplace. Injoo saw Hwayoung as someone who teach her many things

Intellegence: Hwayoung had planned things very further and details, and outsmarting Sangah's manipulation

Mystery: Hwayoung is central mystery of the story

Hwayoung's Apartment

Hwayoung have small purple orchid on her apartment at Singapore

Hwayoung's apartment wallpaper at South Korea have purple as main color. The wallpaper also used as background for one of main poster

***

Purple and Pink on title of Little Women

In opening sequence, the title Little Women have purple with pink shade as background color

In each ending of episode, the title Little Women appear before credits, usually appear in white text and black screen, before the text got painted. The first color of paint in text is Pink and Purple

Which is color of Injoo and Hwayoung

It's like indicating how Little Women's plot story, beside the Oh Sisters, mostly will be around Injoo and Hwayoung

***

A glimpse of Pink and Purple color on Injoo and Hwayoung's clothes at South Korea

At South Korea, Injoo mostly wear earth color pallete clothes and Hwayoung mostly wear colorless (black/white) clothes

(more explaination on Part 2: Earthenspoon & Nospoon)

But in 1st episode, there's small purple part in Hwayoung clothes. And when Injoo "playing rich", she wear pink clothes.

It's like hinting how they are part of Princess of Thieves later in story

***

Cinderella and Fairygodmother

Hwayoung and Injoo in restaurant scene heavily referenced from Cinderella

Hwayoung is like Fairygodmother who dressing Injoo, the Cinderella, to "playing rich"

The Purple color on Hwayoung and Pink color on Injoo is similar with purple color on Cinderella's Pink dress and Fairygodmother's Purple cloak

***

Color Mood of Princess of Thieves

In each scene when Injoo had thinking or talking about Hwayoung, the color mood around her change into combination of Pink and Purple; the color of Princess of Thieves

Quoting from Choo Jahyun (Hwayoung's actress)'s interview:

"It felt like Goeun (Injoo's actress) was living as both Injoo and Hwayoung at the same time in Little Women"

The combination of pink and purple color mood on those scenes is like symbolized how Injoo and Hwayoung become one on Injoo's mind

***

The Intruder: Yellow

On Princess of Thieves that appear on Singapore's auction, the flower has little shade of Yellow

Which is color of Won Sangah and fake!Hwayoung's dress on Singapore

Won = name of Korean money currency

Korean highest currency (50,000) has color of Yellow

Yellow = Sangah and Won Family = Capitalism

Yellow vs Purple

On color wheel theory, Yellow and Purple are color that opposite to each other

Symbolized how Hwayoung (Purple) and Sangah (Yellow) are total opposite

In opening sequence, Oh sisters were drawn mostly with shade of purple, and their background is yellow.

Indicating how the sisters are like "actors" in Sangah's play vs Hwayoung; how the battle between those masterminds was told from three sisters' perspective

It's also symbolized how Sangah = Yellow = Money = Capitalism is the main enemy

***

The Shadow of Flower

Hwayoung (화영)'s name have meaning Beautiful Flower. The writer JSK had mentioned that she want to give a name to Hwayoung that relate to Flowers because Hwayoung love gardening

In hanja, Hwayoung have secret meaning of her name: 花影 = 꽃의 그림자 = Shadow of Flower

It's like symbolising how Hwayoung is shadow part of flowers:

1. Princess of Thieves: to Injoo

At first, Hwayoung's color seems like also Pink

Hwayoung mostly wear pink on her second account/alter ego Jin Mikyung and on Injoo's imagination about Hwayoung's second life

It's like foreshadowing how Hwayoung live under Injoo's name at Singapore

On locker scene, Hwayoung seems like giving off her pink clothes to Injoo. Like symbolizing she's fully giving the pink side of Princess of Thieves to Injoo, together with all money and Bruno Zumino shoes that she give to her on the bag

2. Blue Ghost Orchid: to Sangah and Won Family/Jeongran

The surname Jin (진) on Jin Hwayoung is to give impression that Hwayoung is came from place that far away (indeed in character description of Hwayoung on official website, it's written Hwayoung is not from Seoul and came to there to work on Orchid Construction). If we look to Jin in Chinese surname version, it has meaning GOLD

It's like secret meaning on how Hwayoung in back have so many money and assets, because she's part of secret society Jeongran and worked for Won family

***

Thief Princess

There's Little Women OST titled "Thief Princess"

The OST indeed mostly got played in some scene that relate to Injoo or/and Hwayoung:

When Injoo decided to search the truth behind Hwayoung's death, and she look to the unbloomed Princess of Thieves

When Sangah give Injoo a blue suit, and then Injoo remembering how Hwayoung give her a black suit before this

When Hwayoung confess that she want Injoo to be happy on court scene

[sab-teraa]

[stuff-diary]

My Demon

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

My Demon (2023/24, South Korea)

Director: Kim Jang Han

Writer: Choi Ah Il

Mini-review:

Look, I'm not gonna lie. I started this drama for a very superficial reason: Kim Yoo Jung and Song Kang are one of the most gorgeous couples I've ever seen. And tbh, that's one of the things that kept me watching until the end. The first half was pretty fun, thanks to their will-they-won't-they dynamic and some really funny supporting characters and recurring gags. Unfortunately, it began to drag around the middle part, and then it got more and more boring with each passing episode. By the time the final episode came out, I no longer cared about the plot, the characters or anything else (although the ending itself was quite nice). With all that in mind, I can't help but think My Demon would have worked much better as a movie.

[thenoonachronicles]

The Glory cast says thank you!

[ignitification]

K-actors I need in a leading role very badly:

- Lee Soo Hyuk. I don’t really have to explain this one, but for those still sitting too far away: his voice alone is cause of heart attacks.

- Lim Ji Yeon. She’s great, she’s pretty and I’d like to see her in a series where she is given freedom to express herself in a way that does not necessarily have to scream ‘unapproachable bitch’ (even though…).

- Lee Ji Hun. He’s sexy, yes, but I’d also like for him to simply be silly and just see a lot of him. Please. We need more long haired DILF representation.

- Hwang In Youp. Again, I don’t need to explain this one, but I’d like to say that he deserves better. Let him act like a grown up Jung Joon Hyung (WLFKBJ).

- Lee Joo Bin. Let her be a bad bitch. Let her be a narcissistic asshole with money issues. Just let her act in more roles that are not ‘girlfriend’ or where she is crying all the time. Thanks.

- Shin Sung Rok. He’s been there but I cannot remember any single one of them (whether they were bad, or because I am still not over his version in Vagabond).

- Jung Sung Il. No other reason for this that I’m thirsty for this man. Amen.

- Byeon Woo Seok. He was great, and maybe he could have a drama where he does not meet a tragic ending.

[screenshothaven]

Gangnam Zombie (2023)

[surprisebitch]

An intense rollercoaster. If you love suspense, mystery, and a super high stakes conflict.. highly recommend Little Women.

Just when you thought it's over, a new twist comes that will keep you guessing and anxious.

Outstanding cast, music, & story.

My vote to win the daesangs 😩 10/10

[passionforfiction]

The Glory

This 16 episode-long series kept me hooked from beginning to end. My mom and I devoured it. It was hard to watch in many instances because it shows very violent bullying scenes among teens. And the audience can feel the desperation of the victims and the frustration when the adults don't help or those that want to help are taken out of the equation. It is one of the victims of this group of friends-bullies who decides to avenge all the damage these people did to her and other victims. Usually, in these kind of stories, revenge is executed following the law, but that's not necessarily the case in this series.

The Glory is about the anti-hero. Those that have been victims of abuse or a violent act, coming together and taking down those that hurt them in subtle ways. these people are broken and you can see it in their eyes and actions. The planning is brilliant but celebrating their glory is also kind of disturbing. It is paying violence with violence. But the audience sympathizes because those cruel teens are worse as adults, they don't feel remorse for what they did and they keep causing harm to others and therefore, you want justice to be served on them.

The storyline is very well developed, the characters as well. It is a good series to watch, but I would say that this one is for ages 16+ since, unlike most of the Korean dramas we are used to, this one has some graphic scenes scattered around.

Again, I recommend it.

Poster from SPOTV News - http://www.spotvnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=27451

[filministic]

Deo geullori (2022)

[kaipanzero]

Gangnam Zombie

강남좀비 (2023)

[suavis-nook]

T H E G L O R Y 2022 || directed by Ahn Gil-ho

color palettes and the lovely aesthetics <3