Reviews

Li Jain Joan (Tan Songyun) lost her mother whilst young and is bought up by her loving father who runs a small restaurant. Through sad circumstances the family grows with the addition of Ling Xiao (Song Wellong) a child deserted by his mother and He Zi Qui (Zhang Xincheng) also deserted by his mother. With the addition of Ling Xiao's father, a policemen they become a loving and close family unit. As they get older they all have to go in different directions and years later they reunite but the closeness they once knew is all gone and we have to wait to see if it can be recovered. It is an extremely well acted show and the characters are very well established with the amusing escapades of their childhood leading up to their school years. Great side characters with their own issues and stories and heartwarming stories looking at many different aspects of being a family. Highly recommended and deserves an 8.5.

A dedicated and kind police officer Geum Myung-se (Cha Tae-hyun) inadvertently causes a famed but cold and indifferent neurologist Shin Ha-ru (Jung Yong-hwa) to lose his job. The neurologist later joins a specialist team set up in Seoul to solve cases involving rare brain ailments of which the detective is a member. The neurologist then plots his revenge against the detective whilst assisting in solving many weird and wonderful cases. There are other entertaining members of the team and some interesting cases that hold your interest so overall an ok watch even though the comedy often falls flat.

An evil king cares nothing for his people and even less for the countries slaves, but then comes the Japanese invasion and it is the slaves and peasants who subdue it. You would think the king would be grateful but instead returns to the capital planning to once again exploit the people. The story has two main characters, a lord and a slave who befriend each other but later a misunderstanding leads to conflict. It is an interesting plot with over the top fight scenes but fails to really develop any of the characters and this is its main failing. Having said that it is an ok watch and an interesting death, look for the hand holding the sword.

Baek Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) returns to Korea from America without explanation giving up on a successful career and an impending marriage. She returns to her childhood neighbourhood and reconnects with her child hood friend Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in) who is now a successful architect. It is a romantic drama but also highlights the closeness of the small community neighbourhood and also features a second romantic storyline. My favourite parts are when they recount school days and when the young actors play them (exceedingly well) as children. These parts demonstrate the dynamics of their friendship and how important they have always been to each other. It probably deserves an eight but I thought it floundered a little at the end which was a shame as overall it was a well acted heart warming series.

This drama is the story of King Sejong and his ambition to create a simpler alphabet then the Chinese system which requires knowledge of hundreds of characters. He created Hangul which is the Korean alphabet which was far more basic and simpler to learn and thus giving access to reading to lots more people. The drama shows a compassionate king who believed that knowledge is power and struggled for a long time to create a simplified alphabet. The problem is that there are many factions who wish to stop him developing a system of educating the masses including even those closest to him. An enjoyable interesting period drama with twists and turns which is worth a watch.

In a time of nine kingdoms each kingdom sends a woman to the main and strongest region to form marriage alliance. This time the women will influence the future of this idea and the position women hold in this country.

The main story involves Li Wei played by the charismatic Tian Xi Wei who is determined not to be selected and sixth young lord Yin Zheng played by Bai Jing Ting who is a sickly son of the emperor and is ignored at court. It is an entertaining and gently paced romance and has some great side characters and stories. It is based on a novel Time travel to the daily life of the Qing dynasty by DuoMuMuDuo. Good to see strong women characters and it is an enjoyable feel good series.

Shin Hyun-been plays Ha Yoon-seo a hard working brand marketing manager with a difficult upbringing who was forced to protect and bring up her brother due to her neglectful parents. She has been dating a team member Seo Joo-won ( Moon Sang-min) unaware that he is the Chaebol son of the company she works for. When she finds out it leads to the Chairwoman offering her money to break of the relationship. Because she cannot see a future with their different upbringings she accepts the money and breaks it off and tries to distance herself from him. It is an easy going story based on a webtoon and has an interesting second couple played by Yoon Park and the excellent Park So-jin. Even though the behaviour of the characters can be a little frustrating at times it is done to amplify the different personalities and at only ten episodes it is an enjoyable short watch.

Choi Seon-hee (Park Ju-hyun) is the adopted daughter of a successful lawyer and his wife and seem to live an idyllic life. That is until one day when she returns home covered in blood claiming to have killed a school friend who had a crush on her. This is the catalyst for a turn of events nobody expected and the family and friends around her soon turn out to be not what they at first seemed. The plot is quite clever but the trouble I have with it, is that it plods slowly at times but then just brushes over other events. I think if they had made fewer episodes and made the plot a little more believable it would have been better. Having said that it was still an ok watch and very entertaining at times.

Han Yu-ri (Nam Ji-hyun) applies for a corporate lawyers position at a large law firm but ends up being assigned to the divorce department which she hates. This departments star attorney is Cha Eun-kyung (Jang Na-ra) who is also a celebrity due to her tv and radio appearances. They have different outlooks and initially there is friction but over time they both learn a different approach to life from each other. It is an interesting series which looks at various marital issues and the many different reasons that can lead to divorce and the different approach to this in Korea as opposed to the UK where I live. It is well acted and as it has realistic cases written by an actual divorce lawyer and it is good to see two strong female leads.

At a remote woodland motel the owners family lives fall apart after an horrendous event and twenty years later we return with a new owner. Jeon Yeong-Ha (Kim Yun-Seok) is the new owner who leads a relaxed life renting rooms until Yoo Seong-A (Go Min-Si) arrives and from that point his life descends into a downward spiral. I really enjoyed parts of the show particularly when Go Min-Si was on screen but felt overall the pacing was too slow at the beginning and with fewer episodes would have been much better. There are interesting connections with the people from both events and even though it has some plot holes the outstanding acting of the full cast as the plot picks up draws you in.

I would strongly suggest that people research the premise of the movie before watching as it takes a long time before the storyline becomes clear. In a world where loved ones who have passed but can be created in an AI universe we see stories of how people connect and how our memories of people are not all they seem. The movie cast includes Tang Wei, Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum and Gong Yoo who along with the rest of the cast deliver great performances. I am not surprised it failed to be popular in Korean cinemas on release as it was released in the summer when you expect action blockbusters not films leaving viewers to question the depths of human connection. I viewed it on a streaming service, knew the plot and thought it was an interesting watch.

Lee Hong-joo (Kim So-hyun) and Kang Hu-Young (Chae Jong Hyeop) were classmates who's lives inter crossed even though Hu-Young was a maths genius and Hong-Joo was a little scatterbrained. Years later they meet up and through circumstances they end up in each others company and over time they rekindle the bond they had and slowly it develops to be deeper. It is only eight episodes and the series offers little but a gentle easy going drama. What makes it worth watching are the two leads, the flash back sequences to when they were at school and an excellent supporting cast. If you want a short fluffy romance then this hits the target.

The star of the show is Fan Xian who is played excellently by Zhang Ruo Yun and my review is based on the first two series as there is no confirmed date for series three. It is set in the ancient empire of Qing and the story begins with Fan returning to the capital after years of exclusion after an assassination attempt on him. He has memories of the future and his mother who he never knew brought great knowledge to the kingdom. Once he is in the capital he soon rises through the ranks and his support is pursued by powerful factions within the court. The story goes along at a steady pace and has many twists and turns with a great supporting cast and good character development and I would have liked more inclusion of some of the interesting side characters. Well worth a watch but remember there are a lot of episodes and more to come.

Han Sunhwa plays Go Eun-ha who is a struggling child content provider on the internet (We tube) and longs to reunite with a childhood friend who disappeared and she blames herself for this. Uhm Tae-goo plays Seo Ji-hwan the son of a mob boss who betrayed his father and is now trying to run a legal meat packing plant employing ex cons to give them a chance to redeem. Circumstances bring these two together and over time the cold indifferent CEO begins to be attracted to the free spirited entertainer. The story is one of redemption but also has a back story of a jealous gang member who hates him and will take revenge as he is jealous of his success. We have the usual love triangle, quirky sidekicks and a cute second couple but for me it is ok but misses the mark. Too many advert type interruptions and the balance of serious and funny does not work although it has a good cast and some funny and touching moments.

In a time of war and upheaval two experts in the martial arts come together to try to restore peace and harmony and both have a secret identity. Zhao Lu Si plays Bai Feng Xi a hot headed and impetuous fighter and Yang Yang plays Hei Feng Xi a restrained and level headed fighter. Trying to keep their identities secret they come to find their paths continually cross and whilst bringing justice to the world they become closer. It starts of relatively slow for the first few episodes as there are a lot of characters to introduce but after that it moves at an entertaining pace as the story unfolds. Overall well written and I would have scored it a nine if it were not for some interesting characters just being phased out (the eldest prince) and the characters of some of the actors completely changing to suit the plot (King Yong) Overall though a great watch in this Wuxia drama as we wait to see Who rules the World.

I really enjoyed this drama about a group of friends and their journey through life with all its ups and downs and how they support each other in the bad times and celebrate together the good times. The three female leads are played by Chun Woo-Hee, Jeon Yeo-been and Han Ji-eun who all do an amazing job at conveying the differences of individuals and the ability to see the faults in our friends but still support them. It is very well directed, has an excellent script as the story draws you in and you feel a fondness for the characters and a real empathy towards them. It deals with many serious issues which most of us will face at some point and if you want a feel good series I would recommend it.

Jinyan Wu plays Xue Fang Fei who is betrayed by her husband and loses everything and is believed murdered. She is in fact alive and through luck meets many people who are kind and allow her to assume the identity of an important figure and she then not only seeks justice for the people but also plots revenge against her and her friends enemies. On this journey she meets Duke Su a close ally of the Emperor played by Xingyue Wang who initially uses her as a pawn in his intrigue but eventually grows to have feelings for her. It starts slowly as there are many characters to be introduced but soon picks up and is well written and I quickly moved on to the next episode to find out what happens. Overall a very enjoyable palace plot drama with excellent acting from the entire cast, particularly the lead actress.

In a world where ninjas reside a dysfunctional family of ninjas who have hung up their swords come out of retirement and have to brush up on their rusty skills to combat a rogue rival clan. The Fuma clan have orchestrated an attack and it's up to the Tawaras to thwart them and stop their evil ways. It is an interesting idea but the plot moves a little slow and too many scenes are filmed with low lighting which I personally dislike. Kento Kaku plays Haru Tawara the second son and is the main lead but his entire family have interesting back stories and at just eight episodes it is short but may still have been better as a movie.

The son of a murdered Police psychologist returns from America after many years away after receiving a strange card. He ends up helping a small police team which includes a female detective with her own tragedy which is linked to his. Together they investigate current murders but also find more information about the suspicious deaths of their parents, and even though their relationship starts frostily their common bond draws them together. It has a great cast including, Seo In-guk, Jang Na-ra, Choi Won-young and Park Bo-gum who along with the rest of the cast do a sterling job. The plot idea is interesting and draws you in with the different cases but sadly I have taken a point off as although I occasionally like an open ended ending this series just seems to fizzle out as the scriptwriters seemed to write themselves into a corner.

A family where some of them once had super powers, a mother who had predictive dreams, a daughter who could fly and a son who could return to the past have lost their abilities due to the pressures of modern life. They appear wealthy and become the target of a group of scammers planning to extort money from them. Things do not go as planned as the adoptive daughter of one of the con artists played by Chun Won-Hee has had dealings with the son played by Jang Ki-yong and he may have saved her life when she was trapped in a school fire as a student. It is well acted and I must mention Park So-Yi who played the granddaughter as she was outstanding as a person who was just trying to fit in and I am sure has a promising future as an actress. An interesting plot where the influence of Chun Won-Hee brings the family which has fallen apart back together but sadly she may not be able to avert the tragic destiny of the son.

Hong Ye-ji plays plays Choi Myung-yoon who is the daughter of the chief Physician for the King in this Joseon era comedy drama. With the usual scheming with these period dramas the Crown Prince Yi Geon (Suho) is kidnapped by her father and she believes he is a scholar and the story then develops with all the plotting of the inner court vying for power. The story is quite entertaining because even though I did not agree with the actions of some of the baddies they actually had a back story where you could sympathise with the reasons they did what they did. Even though it is billed as a romantic comedy only the first few episodes and the end of the final episode had light moments with the majority of time taken up with a serious plot and counter plot. The acting was good with a believable romance but I deducted a point as this show had the most annoying character who seemed to change his mind every episode and was just the writers being lazy and using him to drive the plot.

Ha Moon-soo played by Won Jin-ah is haunted by the fact her little sister died in a shopping centre collapse whilst she was supposed to be looking after her and her parents separating as a result. Lee Jun-ho plays Lee Gang Doo who lost his father in the same accident and is self medicating to stop the nightmares because of his time trapped underground. Lee Ki-woo plays Seo Joo Won who's father was the architect on the shopping centre and died as a result of the guilt he felt for those that perished. They are all traumatised by the event but fate draws them altogether and through their interactions maybe they can come to terms and live better lifes. It is a touching drama which is based on a real disaster that occurred in Seoul in 1995, and highlights the struggles of trying to live a good life whilst living with tragedy and loss. It has some interesting side characters and plots with a believable romance between the leads with heartbreaking scenes in which Won Jin-ah is outstanding in portraying. My only criticism is the storyline for Ma-ri (Yoon Se-ah) who is a side character and was way too good for the CEO. But apart from that a good watch.

Queen Jisoo (Kim Ji-soo) rules over the kingdom of Silla, but people are now getting impatient for her to hand the crown to her son. Her son Sammaekjong (Park Hyun-sik) is also wanting to take power but she is wary of the nobles taking control if she cedes power so creates an elite group called Hwarang to protect the dynasty. It is a historical coming of age romance with a star studded cast including Kim Tae-hyung (V) Go-Ara, Soo-ho and Do Ji-Han. The acting was good and the plot was interesting but for me the story was slow and I am sure the popularity of the show is down to the handsome male cast and not the scriptwriters.

Eun Dan-oh (Kim Hye-yon) attends a prestigious school but one day she discovers her life is not what it seems as she is in fact a supporting character in a web comic. Once she comes to terms with it she decides to change her life and become the main character of the story. It is a romantic drama and Rowoon plays Ha-ru a fellow pupil and together they make a cute and believable couple. It is a clever plot where she has to change the authors plans for her character but it does not get too complicated. It is actually based on a webtoon, which I find amusing and the acting of the whole cast is good, so well worth a watch.

In a dystopian future a live tv show becomes popular where a Judge and his two assistants hold court to bring justice where the people get to decide on guilt and a sentence. The two main stars are the judge played by Ji Sung and his assistant played by Jinyoung. The young assistant is an idealist and soon realises the judge may not be the upright character he portrays and will step on anyone to get the verdict he thinks is agreeable. It is an interesting plot with the President of Korea.and Chaebols running amok abusing their position and going to extreme lengths to amass money and power. The plot can be a little silly at times but does hold your attention and the acting is excellent especially the supporting cast who are outstanding with honourable mentions for Jeon Chae-un as the judges nieces, Park Guy-young as a police officer friend of Jinyoung and the devilish villain played by Kim Min-jung. I would rate it as 8.5 and recommend you go along for the ride to discover whether the judge is a good man seeking justice or is in fact the devil.