K-Drama Reviews

Review – Last Scandal of My Life

/ Lady Divine / Leave a comment

Review – Last Scandal of My Life

I started this drama based solely on the romantic cover picture and the suggestive title.  Little did I know this would not be a suave romantic drama but instead end up a delightful romantic comedy.  Turns out it was exactly what I needed – a short, playful series about adults finding love (again) later in their lives.  It’s not the best rom-com I’ve seen, but it was certainly charming and had a lot of the elements I cherish in k-dramas.

Overall Rating:  8/10

Let’s hold hands and skip while we examine this feel-good drama…

SPOILERS FOLLOW

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Review – God’s Gift: 14 Days

/ Lady Divine / 1 Comment

Review – God’s Gift: 14 Days

I don’t write lengthy reviews on mysteries… unless they suck and I feel like ruining it for everyone.  This mystery did not suck.  Au contraire!  It was very good indeed, so I shall keep this post short and sweet.  The plot of this series is as follows:  A serial killer kidnaps the daughter of a highly influential married couple.  They discover the child’s dead body shortly after.  Devastated by this loss, the mother proceeds to kill herself… only to find she has gone back in time two weeks and given a second chance to save her daughter.  She has not come back in time alone, however.  A two-bit gangster has also crossed time.  As the mother and gangster unite to solve the crime before it happens – they discover their own lives are interconnected through dark events of the past.  Murders, madhouses, pill popping pop icons, conspiracies, police corruption, adultery and more surface as the fate of the young daughter hangs in the balance.

This drama started out with a BANG and kept going strong for about 12 episodes before it started to taper off a bit, though not enough to warrant complaint.  The complicated web of deceit was nicely drawn out and slowly revealed, with the answer to one mystery posing a question for a new one.  There were some stellar performances from the large ensemble cast, with a special ticker-tape parade to Cho Seung Woo (who played the x-cop turned gangster) and Baro (who played the mentally handicapped adopted nephew of the gangster).  This drama was a tense and suspenseful thrill ride with excellent production value.  Most highly recommended thriller.  The only reason I do not give it a higher rating is that I don’t believe this drama has a high re-watch factor, which I believe is essential.

Overall Rating:  8/10

Review – Empire of Gold

/ Lady Divine / Leave a comment

You Had Me At “I Do” – Review of Empire of Gold

EGold_Title2

Fifteen minutes in and I was already hooked with baited breath.  Hands down the best opening scene of any K-Drama I have seen to date.   Seriously, my jaw dropped to the floor… “With this ring I thee wed” has never been creepier.  EVER.

The Empire of Gold kept rolling forward at full steam – delivering some chilling scenes and immersing you into the strange and treacherous world of big, shady business.  Yes, ladies and gentleman, this world is as far removed from me as South Korea.  I shall keep my pittance of a government salary and continue to pay rent in my shabby but comfortable apartment and leave the bribes, back-stabbing, golfing, dinner deals and mergers to the high rollers who can stomach such things.  This is not a world of happy endings, or happy middles or even happy beginnings.  This world barely catches even a moment of such things.  And yet it’s compulsively watchable.  Like a massive car pile up on the interstate.  Keep me at a safe distance… about ten feet from the television, thank you.

A dark, precautionary tale of greed.  Highly recommended.

More Random Thoughts – Includes SPOILERS…

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Review – Dr. Kkang (also known as Dr. Gang & Doctor Gangster)

/ Lady Divine / 1 Comment

Review – Dr. Kkang (also known as Dr. Gang & Doctor Gangster)

If Coffee Prince and Padam Padam got married… they’d produce Dr. Kkang.  Coffee Prince had more attention to detail in set design and better costuming. Padam Padam had superior cinematography and a phenomenal musical score.  But if you combine the charm and playful romance of Coffee Prince with the rough-around-the-edges-but-ultimately-lovable male lead of Padam Padam – you might create this remarkably enduring show.  What an unlikely surprise to come across a 10/10 show on a whim via dramafever.

If you like romance (epic), comedy (side splitting hysterical without reducing its characters to gimmicky comedy stereotypes) and a solid gangster-action gritty substructure (yikes) – you will like this show.  Actually, if you like quality Korean drama – you will love this show.  You’re not human if this one doesn’t chisel a crude drawing of a heart on your heart.

SPOILERS FOLLOW….

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Review – Cain & Abel

/ Lady Divine / 3 Comments

Review – Cain & Abel

I loved this drama!  It proved to be non-traditional and yet still remain firmly seated at the table of k-drama theatrics.  Stories about heated rivalry are some of my favorites – there is nothing better than watching two people duke it out for a prize.  This drama threw me for a loop, however, because for the majority of the show – one of the rivals didn’t even know he had a rival.  Relatively fast-paced, adorably romantic, a hearty mix of medical drama, mystery, North-Korean refugees, Chinese location shooting and even a very well done amnesia plot (memory loss is always fun, no matter how ridiculous – This show made good use of it).  From the dramatic opening sequence, I was hooked.

Overall Rating:  9/10

Spoilers Follow…

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