Sisyphus: The Myth (2021) The end in sight

Somewhere in this hodge podge of romance, action adventure sci-fi and politics is a plot in search of a better script. Judging from all that I've seen in the past 7 episodes the potential for greatness was always there. The drama makes big claims, it wants to be weighty, it has tried to be mysterious keeping us all intrigued with a trail of breadcrumbs but there's little doubt that it is flawed project from the start. The stakes, we are constantly reminded, are high but the show using non-linear storytelling and an overabundance of flashbacks undermines its earth-shattering claims and diminishes any sense of urgency that the audience should be feeling. Instead the pacing is all over the place and the narration is weighed down by familiar tropes that often don't really enhance the way the package is delivered.

I don't think there's really anything that complex about the time travel side of things. From beginning to end it has been consistently about the problems associated with a temporal loop complicated by the possibility of temporal displacement if the past, present or future selves intersect. To my mind the confusion comes primarily because of the heavy-handed use of flashbacks. Flashbacks are used here for all kinds of reasons. Some provide glimpses of the leads' past while others give insight into the wartorn dystopian future. I'm not convinced that we needed that many scenes showing how Seo-hae and dad were living and surviving post-apocalyptic Korea. I don't see the point of us seeing her training regime after all this time. This is the sort of thing that would have been better shown at the start or not at all. But I suppose they needed some way of filling 16 episodes.

Certainly the show has to deal with some element of character. That's to be expected. But for one reason or another it feels clunky and not well integrated into the overall storyline. For me Tae-sul's character arc is better written and there's a sense of journey and growth. It's not that I think Park Shin-hye does badly as Seo-hae but her character isn't as well served here. It almost feels that her entire role in all of this is to be Tae-sul's bodyguard love interest. At least her training regime and skill set points to that. That said, I'm okay with the romance even if the leads don't have sizzling chemistry because it is quite an important feature of Tae-sul's evolution and it feeds his determination to do better than previous failed attempts at thwarting Sigma's foul plans.

Episode 14 offered some hope that Tae-sul is starting to think and act out of the box. It's obvious that some kind of sacrifice is expected especially when the story via Sigma has been sledgehammering us with a zero sum game all throughout. How many times has "is it the girl or the world" been thrown at our faces? Far too many I'd say. However, the question now is whether the show will be true to itself. I fear a cop out resolution. Of course that's just me bracing myself for the worst. Who knows the show might just surprise me a tad with some consistency.

Vincenzo (2021) Early Impressions

This is one of those shows (for me at least) that walks a very fine line with the humour. The pendulum swings from being bleakly humourous to outrageously comical. The bleak part I don't mind but the outrageous part is what sees me cringing inwardly now and again and rolling my eyes. To me much of the slapstick and exaggerated expressions/gestures don't add much to the storytelling although some might appreciate the comic relief. For others on the other hand, it might be off-putting.  It could be acquired taste but then I'm not sure if it's worth the time or the effort... rather like the offerings from the faux Italian restaurant (Areuno) run by wannabe chef Toto.

The drama of course has one key ingredient which makes almost everything palatable and that is Song Joong-ki. He oozes with charm and cool in the titular role as a Korean-born consigliere. Our introduction to him as he rubs shoulders with mafia opponents gives him his comparable John Wick moment. In a payback move (orders from his late mentor) he sets fire to a vineyard doused with combustible liquid. His choice of weapon is a Zippo lighter which he plays with symbolizing the fact that there's a dangerous man lurking beneath the well-groomed nicely suited facade. Even while he seems attractive and mild-mannered, he is not someone that should be crossed. Song Joong-ki is terrific in the role playing the straight guy to a host of escapees from a psychiatric facility cast of colourful and emotionally off-kilter characters. Generally the inscrutable Vincenzo keeps his cool while everyone else hits the panic button in ways that can be considered farcical. The occupants of Geumgang Plaza are a jarring and raucous reminder that the drama should be viewed entirely as a farce.

Unfortunately for him, Vincenzo is a creature belonging neither in Italy nor his birthplace, South Korea. The show hammers home the counter-culture shock when he is robbed on the way to meeting his collaborator and is the butt of some insinuations of his outsider status. He is a fish out of water especially when he has no family to anchor himself to in either contexts. Certainly introducing himself as Vincenzo Cassano in Seoul sees him looked upon (at least initially) as a suspicious sojourner. However, there are advantages to being an outsider as we gradually come to see. It gives one a different perspective and clarity of mind what's really going on. The veneer of respectability conceals a kind of accepted barbarism. 

Vincenzo's evolving relationship with Yoo Jae-myung's crusading lawyer, Hong Yoo-chan, is probably one of the show's highlights for me. The two have a connection in Vincenzo's mother who is serving time in prison for a murder that she took the rap for. More than that there's a lovely role reversal between them. Here the older man is the idealist and the people's champion while the younger one is a cynical, world-wise operator. Given his background, it doesn't take Vincenzo too long to work out what the Enemy is because he's been around them most of his life. He is the sort of fix-it guy Yoo-chan desperately needs as he's up against adversaries who are unconscionable about using violence and threats.

There are hints of a possible romance between Vincenzo and Yoo-chan's ambitious daughter, Hong Cha-young. The set-up has her and Yoo-chan are on opposite sides in the fray with Babel Inc. To her mind it's just easier to fall in line with the status quo while her father's persistence in going up against Big Pharma is an exercise in kicking the goads. As far as she's concerned, there's no need to go too far... whatever that means. But in this world run by thugs and gangsters, justice is a word that has no place in it.

I'm not so sure about Cha-young to be honest. I don't know if it's Jeon Yeo-bin or how she's being directed and/or how she's written. According to Asiawiki she was in Live but I'm struggling to remember her character there. My feeling is that she's a competent enough performer from how she delivers important emotional beats but all the nutty stuff the show has her doing diminishes the character's street creds as a professional woman. It's a hard sell considering what's at stake. However, it is a 20 episode drama... I have mixed feelings about that... so there's certainly ample time for her character to be developed.

For those of us in the know, Babel is something of a running gag in this show. I was chuckling when the company was first introduced as such. It's a reference to Genesis 10 in the Bible where the human decides to build a monument ie. tower that "reaches the heavens". There's been some debate over what that means but the general agreement is that it's a consolidation of power in defiance of the edict of the Creator to "be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth". The Tower of Babel was never completed because communication lines were disrupted among the builders. All building came to a screeching halt when the workers started speaking different languages and were forced by circumstances to migrate elsewhere.

The way I see it, Vincenzo, whether he knows it or not, is that heaven-sent disruption against the mighty Babel. What he wants is the gold buried at the bottom of the building and he's not going to give in that easily. But if there's one thing that one notes quickly about the Old Testament is that God uses all kinds of unexpected people to do his work -- many who are deeply flawed and often not-very-virtuous types. This is not to say He condones their activities but they become inadvertent instruments to achieve other ends.

In all likelihood the gold's gone. That's a theory I have. Or there's something fishy about the senior monk who seems to know where to position himself. Who happens to fidget at the right moment as if he is a sentinel keeping watch. I'm happy to keep on speculating. All that to say that the heist element does show promise if only we can be sure that the pacing doesn't go wobbly somewhere in the middle.

18 Again (2020) Early Impressions

Despite watching around three times more dramas in 2020 than in any year prior, I still managed to miss out on one of the year's gems. An online, fellow Kdrama watcher sang its praises recently and it's been at the back of my mind to get to it at some point. A couple of days ago a city-wide lockdown was announced for this weekend which provided an opportunity to for a marathon watch.

18 Again is one of those sorts of storytelling excursions that Kdramaland excels in. A white goods repairman (Yoon Sang-hyun) suffering midlife crisis and marriage woes looks back on his life bogged down by regrets, lamenting on missed opportunities. He and his wife (Kim Ha-neul) put aside career aspirations as 18-year-olds when she falls pregnant with twins, no less. They both made the tough choice at that age of keeping the babies and raising them. Hong Dae-young, the male lead seems to have hit rock bottom when his wife demands a divorce and a long-awaited promotion bypasses him. On top of that he barely has a relationship with his children. 

On one occasion he meets an enigmatic elderly man during a repair job. The latter notes that Dae-young has a knack for fixing things but Dae-young remarks that he can't seem to fix his own life. The elderly man offers help but Dae-young notes that since the problems are his, he should try fixing them. One night while he's shooting hoops at a local school, a weather event occurs and Dae-young fantastically reverts back to his younger 18-year-old body. 

Body-swapping stories over the years have provided a comical platform for telling stories about framing regrets and shifting perspectives on one's life. At the end of it, the character(s) involved will have become more reflective and come to the "right" conclusions about where their priorities should be. However, as someone who brings a certain parental lens to this, the show delves into a larger range of topics that I personally find relatable. The drama evoked many emotions. It reminded me of much... not least that many things my own parents did and said only really made sense to me after I started raising my own children. Dae-young's journey to reconnect with his own children is one of the show's highlights as it points to the trans-generational issues that seem to beset every era. It's also a highly insightful exploration (so far) of why misunderstandings and estrangements occur. Much ink has been spilt over the generation gap since I was old enough to read and understand newspapers. But there are good objective reasons why in certain cultures (including the one I was raised in) age is reverenced over youth. The show to my mind makes a reasonable case for acquired wisdom through life experiences.

With the benefit of hindsight and experience, Dae-young in his younger body (Lee Do-hyun) sets to "fix" things. From his newly acquired perspective, he discovers that his son, Si-woo although a talented basketballer like his father, is reluctant to play the game and is being relentlessly bullied. He stumbles on the fact that his daughter is working at a convenience store because she has other ideas about her future that don't include higher education. School, he soon notes, is a complex space of continual negotiation of hierarchical structures and external influences with its own set of problems. It also emerges as an ongoing subplot that a bribery scheme has been at play among the basketball players for some time.

But it isn't just the case that parents don't always know what their kids get up to outside of the home. Children can't always make sense of the adults in their lives as they don't have a full picture of what goes on behind the scenes when matters are deliberately concealed from them. In trans-generational conflict the importance of being able to stand in someone else's shoes or at the very least view things from a different perspective is absolutely key to some form of resolution. 

Dae-young's wife, Da-jung on the other hand, has never lost her interest in television broadcasting, practising for the craft in spare moments and applying for jobs when possible. She edges closer to fulfilling a lifelong dream now that the children are reaching their completion of high school. When she's finally selected for her dream job, she faces all kinds of discrimination -- ageism, and for the fact that she's a working mother. who is divorced. Which apparently is a workplace taboo of sorts in her cultural context. To her credit, she perseveres and proves repeatedly that she has the confidence, natural talent and skills to be at the top of the game. The irony which is not lost on the viewer is that Da-jung perceived weaknesses turn out to be assets. For instance, when she is put on the spot to do a quick interview with a baseball player, she carries it off like a pro and gets instant praise for being quick to react as well as her surprising knowledge of baseball. As an older woman and mother, she's had to learn to adapt to situations in life and her baseball knowledge has come from years of spending time with a baseball fanatic at home in the form of her former spouse.

Da-jung too has things she doesn't know about the husband that she gradually grew weary of. His inner turmoil and the hardships that he encountered as a far-too-young father and husband. As life got harder, they both (I think) forgot what it was that they liked about each other and kept them going for the longest time. They both had to re-educate themselves to find their way back to each other.

The show handles Da-jung's relationships with different men with fascinating sensitivity. It isn't that she'd stopped loving Dae-young but she thought he'd change for the worst. So when new admirers come on to the scene, she maintains a respectful distance because in part it's too soon and in part she's got a ton of things to worry about. Her relationship with Lee Do-hyun's Dae-young is what you'd expect in such a situation. Because of his youthful looks, she's instinctively maternal to some degree (once she gets past his remarkable resemblance to her former husband) but she's also confused by reminders of Dae-young in his gestures and speech. She must also be conscious to some degree that his attentions to her are far beyond that of a unusually mature teenage boy.  

With all of these ingredients in the mix, the drama is a guaranteed feel-good watch as the show charts the highs and lows of Dae-young's old and new life. The firm and steady directing elicits credible performances from the entire cast from the very youngest to the most senior. Special mention should be made of Lee Do-hyun who shoulders enormous responsibility as the younger versions of Dae-young: firstly as a young dad fresh out of high school and then also the middle-aged man inside the body of a youngster. He is particularly memorable and humorous when he forgets that he's not supposed to be the 37-year-old Hong Dae-young.

Run On (2020 -21)

At long last... a K rom com I can get excited about. Hallelujah. I've caught up with all 6 episodes and haven't felt the urge to FF or drop it. In fact, I eagerly await the coming episodes. Will the leads continue their gentle push and pull or will they take the plunge and go with the flow? It's been obvious since the beginning they're not destined "just to be friends".  To be frank, I don't think the show does anything original but its merits lie in the characters being likeable and humorously depicted. Unfiltered. Better still, I'm seldom bored by the antics of all concerned even if they faintly resemble some character I've seen somewhere else. It's always nice that a show is smart enough not to take itself too seriously

Although the chemistry and set-up of both sets of major pairings work for me, the real star of this drama is the dialogue. It's almost as if the drama speaks with one voice through differently modulated microphones. Sometimes it's the purely random gems that fall out of characters mouths unfiltered. At other times it's a humorous understated but catty bickering especially between the women. On other occasions, it's the matter-of-fact frustration of Seon-gyeom who blurts things out with a straight face. Maybe he can start playing poker now that he's officially unemployed. On some level it seems to be doing something different but then on another, it's really just an old fashioned rom com remixed with 21st century verbiage. One gets the sense that everyone knows they're playing a role in this farce... in the original sense of the word... there's more than a little nudge, nudge, wink, wink in those irresistible pearls of self-expression. Especially in the form of Soo-yeong's Da-na. She's smart, she's sassy and she seems to enjoy playing the sociopath. I suppose it's a survival mechanism, a cry for attention and a demand for respect from certain quarters... close to home.

Seon-gyeom who's a non-conformist male lead, is wired in a completely different way. He seems to on the one hand have a martyr complex because of his perceived privilege but on the other hand, I do think there is something wonderfully genuine at the core of his dilemma. His manners are impeccable and he's a veritable sweetheart. He wants to change... not the world... but how his particular niche does business. Maybe it's the way Im Shi-wan plays the character with unmitigated earnestness. Rather than being a truth seeker, he's in search of authenticity. It's no accident that Oh Mi-joo mutters to herself that he is Peter Pan because in a real enough way he is the boy that hasn't grown up. His life until the bullying scandal has largely revolved around competitive running but by the time we get to Episode 6, he's out in the real world mixing it with other bodies that aren't athletes. It's a whole new ball game he must navigate to find his raison d'etre. The question that follows him as he ventures out in the great unknown is this: Is there life after the track?

To help him make sense of this brave new world, isn't his very public family or his former agency but interpreter and translator, Oh Mi-joo. Mi-joo who purports to be more worldly-wise lives with her friend May and has no family. It's clear early on that Mi-joo and Seon-gyeom are attracted to each other but for one reason or another they've held back. Mi-joo's initial excuse could be a reluctance to mix business with pleasure and Seon-gyeom wants to be get a lot closer but feels vaguely rebuffed. Their repartee might seem desultory on the surface but the words gradually come to hold deeper meaning for both as they interact in all kinds of troubling (sometimes comedic) dramatic contexts.

Part of the charm of the primary leads is their unerring directness with each other. There's an always that sense of unpredictability in how they respond to each other. The confrontation outside his hotel room where he asks her about being paid by his father to "keep an eye on him" was especially well played. It was done with surprising calmness. The show chooses its lighter tone by eschewing the histrionics. She anticipates his response and resigns herself to the fact that it marks the end of any kind of future interactions. Except that it doesn't. Except that she gave back the money and consistently takes it on the chin that she took a bribe from Despicable Dad. Why? Perhaps she doesn't want to excuse herself or make herself out to be a better person than she feels that she is. She perceives herself as the grown-up that takes responsibility for her actions.

Episode 6 sees the two embroiled in a cohabitation scheme. A familiar and well-used romance trope that seldom feels old. Seon-gyeom emerges from his hiding place in his grandfather's hotel and gets willingly conned into moving into Mi-joo and May's place after hearing a cock and bull story about a neighbourhood mugger. I want to pinch his cheeks for his cluelessness in taking things seriously but I'm sure after that jogging session with Mi-joo, he's won't be too unhappy at being white-lied to. Mi-joo is strangely aloof at first, keeping to her room and odd working hours until she is reminded that there's an attractive young man taking solace in her living room dying to spend more time with her. When Mi-joo comes to her senses, the two head off to the beautiful rural Korean countryside to recruit his former coach to take up the coaching position for a non-profit. Mi-joo makes her drunken backhanded confession and he makes his matter-of-fact response of mutual attraction but she finally succumbs to the effects of alcohol.

The plot thickens for Da-na and her art student, Lee Young-hwa. She's intrigued by his artwork and for a busy person who plays up the role of someone who is above it all, she seems unusually fascinated. He is unabashedly smitten at first sight and takes her prickliness all in his stride. She amuses him and he humours her. It's all part of the charm for him. Young-hwa is also responsible for cheekily and randomly throwing up a piece of my childhood with the ET reference when he meets Seon-gyeom for the second time. This time they're at the supermarket. It might not be that random of course because it's the drama saying that Seon-gyeom is an oddity ... a fish out of water... an alien that doesn't belong in this world that the so-called adults inhabit and make their sandbox. Seon-gyeom doesn't do politics or business as usual. 

The potential pairing between Da-na and Young-hwa feels like a modern K production of The Taming of the Shrew. When she patronizes him (in all senses of the word), he plays along and toys with her. It's  water off a duck's back, Yeong-hwa takes it one step at a time. He knows that compared to her he's a penniless student but that's no deterrence. In fact, he savours the challenge. Besides, he has something she wants. Something that her conspicuous wealth can't buy. He's also perceptive enough to see through a bit of her haughty rich girl act. 

The rich people's families here are deliberately dysfunctional. They suffer from the usual rich people's malaise. Seon-gyeom is routinely reduced to a prop for his father's political ambitions and Da-na's half siblings have more dollars than sense. Myung-min constructs her as his rival for the family coffers. Tae-woong is ridiculously possessive. Her father, on the other hand, wants her married off despite all her protestations. It seems to be a hobby of his.

Assemblyman Ki is the typical K drama Despicable Dad. Except that he is cartoony at the edges. In other words, he is a caricature. He is the stereotype to a T and he is being gently mocked not only by his long-suffering unreligious spouse but the show itself. He seems to have stepped out of a Charles Dickens novel. His religious zealotry isn't just a role he plays for his electorate, it also blinds him to the extent that he cannot be the husband or father that his family needs him to be. His wife, the actress, plays along to keep the peace but to her credit she doesn't pretend that she's Mother of the Year. At least she knows that she's on display, playing the roles that she's been designated by life to do so.

The Case Solver 拆案 (2020) Head-scratching Cliffhangers

 

Frankly, I'm not sure what to make of the ending of a number of C dramas especially the shorter ones which are notorious for their cliffhanger endings even when no subsequent seasons are scheduled or forthcoming. It's a marketing ploy undoubtedly but if everyone does the same thing and if there's no set date for a sequel then all this ends up tainting the viewing experience rather than leave audiences wanting more. Some of us are still waiting for the resolution of Detective L's cliffhanger ending which is nowhere in sight. That was far more annoying because we remain clueless about the good guys' prospects of surviving the Big Bad's last ditch attempt to get away. But I'm going to pretend that The Case Solver ends in Episode 24 at around 21:33 with the main character's promotion. The rest of the finale is white noise and irrelevant filler.

It did take me two episodes to warm up to this one and to the male lead. However, somewhere around the halfway mark, I came to like the male lead who is more or less cut according to the Sherlock Holmes mould and started digging around for other productions that actor Jason Gu Jiacheng has been attached to. For an idol actor, I would say he's actually not bad. Gu Yuan, a newly appointed chief detective at the French concession, has a first-class intellect and handily has knowledge of feng shui (geomancy) applicable mostly to the first episode. Gu Yuan's promotion comes to the disappointment of chief aspirant, Kang Yicheng (Su Xiaoding), also the only child of Chamber of Commerce head, Kang Shaoqing. The quick-witted Gu Yuan, is well aware that Yicheng's biggest asset isn't his brains or his brawn but his connections especially when important inquiries have to be made pertaining to active cases. Gu Yuan humours Yicheng by indulging him in a faux rivalry now and again but it doesn't take long for these two essentially good-natured men to become friends. 

A series of events purporting to be paranormal mishaps capture the imagination of Shanghai's populace. Gu Yuan is tasked on each occasion to get to the bottom of things. Of course he doesn't believe in ghosts, demons or the living dead. It's a no-brainer from the start that flesh and blood are the real perpetrators behind these seemingly inexplicable phenomenon as he gets embroiled with gangsters, corpse thieves, illusionists, pimps and prostitutes. It is the seedy side of Shanghai under the veneer of respectability. The show often feels like a cross between Psych-Hunter and My Roommate is a Detective although I find the female leads in this much more likeable.

Gu Yuan is also ably supported by the local medical examiner, Che Suwei who eschews the stereotypical typical female lead by being unscreechy, cool-headed, competent and reliable. The show hints that the two might have feelings for each other although the primary romance is between Kang Yicheng and his verbal sparring partner Cao Qingmeng, a reporter also with important family connections. She does her best to whip up public fervour by sensationalizing the criminal misadventures and occasionally she manages to bring vital clues to the table.

Each episode is roughly about half an hour long and each case is solved within 4 episodes. The low budget web drama an easy watch and not a bad way to while away 12 hours if you're a fan of whodunits. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to make comparisons with Scooby-Doo. It falls loosely along similar lines. And it makes the same sorts of gags as well. 

And remember to stop the video at 21:33 towards the end of the last episode.

Psych-Hunter (2020) *Non-spoiler Review*

Without giving anything of substance away, this is one of those dramas that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish for what it appeared to be but the resolution completely transformed my perspective and understanding of what it was. Initially from the brief synopsis that I'd read, I was given the impression that this was an X-Files style drama dealing with paranormal activities but it turned out actually to be an old-fashioned detective drama in which Agatha Christie meets Sherlock Holmes meets Salvador Dali. It's a great production and boasts an assortment of colourful characters from the leads down to the supporting acts. The Republican era backdrop works exceedingly well particularly as the costumes, props and sets reflect the early Agatha Christie period perfectly. Christie's first Poirot novel, The Mysterious Affair At Styles was published after the first world war. 

In many ways this drama works somewhat like a Sherlock Holmes story or a series of Sherlock Holmes stories. The role of Holmes and Watson alternates between two characters, Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng. At the start of the show, we are introduced to Jiang Shou (Neo Hou) who is found by his mentor Bu Yan. Jiang Shou has lost his memories but he has a really handy skill that allows him to make a living, he can read minds. Or I should say, he can transport himself into a person's subconscious and find out things about them. It's an asset in any investigation of a crime especially when the suspect or witness is unusually recalcitrant. Jiang Shuo and his shifu Bu Yan live in a compound with a troupe of entertainers. Their living quarters is one of the show's key set pieces and their companions often become embroiled in Jiang Shuo's investigations. The other half of this partnership is the cool-headed psychiatrist Qin Yiheng, who is played by Liu Dongqin who is no stranger to playing sleuths or doctors. I like him better here than in the second iteration of the Dr Qin Medical Examiner franchise. As a psychiatrist specializing in reading micro-expressions, Yiheng is quickly drawn to Jiang Shuo as they both travel/teleport into the psyche of individuals. Of the two of them he is normally the more calm and astute investigator. Yiheng has more of an interest solving crimes than getting involved with the family business despite the emotional arm-pulling by his brother. He is also the second son of a local business magnate which is an important part of his identity throughout the show because it involves the mysterious disappearance of his father.

Inadvertently entangled with them is the local warlord's daughter Yuan Muqing (Bambi Zhu) who "moonlights" as a local constable while officially being enrolled in a private girls' school. It's not long before she and Jiang Shuo develop romantic feelings for each other. It's not a romance that I needed but it wasn't one that I was averse to. Compared to other crime shows, she's actually one of the better unnecessary female love interests. They don't bicker much thankfully and yes... she does get clingy (even that makes sense) but as a whole she does have her uses. 

Another regular feature of the show is the official head cop, Bai Kai who is a taciturn but respected leader. Jiang Shuo nicknames him "bai kai shui" which means plain water. Yes, on the surface he seems to be a bit of a colourless character at first and the butt of some of the show's humour but as the show develops he becomes the greatest supporter of the unofficial detectives. He is effectively Inspector Lestrade without the ego.

The format of the show sees our detectives chasing clues provided by an enigmatic figure known as Liu Zhi. Liu Zhi is, in essence, the story's Moriarty figure. He is the consummate shadowy puppetmaster, lurking in the background pulling strings and using individuals who hold grievances to commit crimes all around the city. The master criminal wants a piece of Jiang Shuo for reasons not known initially and he uses these cases or "games", as he calls them to draw the latter into a web of conspiracy and corruption. 

By far, my favourite part of the show (apart from the individual case arcs all wonderfully integrated in the bigger storyline) would be the developing friendship between the two men. From the time when they first meet to the last, their loyalty to each other and camaraderie is pleasing. Their personalities complement each other well as they learn to work together in life-threatening situations. 

The male leads especially are rather good in their respective roles but as a whole the entire cast are very well put together to give an immersive experience.

Early on I mentioned Salvador Dali and this is why. When the two men teleport into a person's psyche, the art design of those sets are a delightful mix of surrealism, a little expressionism and art deco. I love the thought and the effort given to that aspect of the drama. Each set was intriguing always keeping the viewer on their toes wondering what's round the corner. There was one case that featured clocks ... and I'm obsessed with timepieces anyway... and the visuals for that one was especially stunning in my mind. 

There's no doubt that it's a clever show and the conclusion made me think just that little bit more about the whole thing than I otherwise would have. It's a drama that I wouldn't mind revisiting down the track just to see what new things I missed the first time around.

Chocolate (2019-2020) A Review

There’s no denying that Chocolate ransacks the melodrama pantry with impunity: Unforgettable first love, orphaned children, past trauma, over-the-top chaebol family power struggles, misunderstandings due to noble idiocy etc etc. It’s almost relentless. All these elements would be immediately recognizable by seasoned viewers. Familiar though it seems, the haunting storytelling and the exquisite cinematography is what lifts the material beyond the burden of expectation. The locations are glorious to behold. Moreover, the use of tropes is largely the set-up for the meat of the story: The reality of impending death and how people of different ages and backgrounds find ways of processing mortality and loss.

The leads are two wounded souls who continually find their way to each other despite various attempts to stay out of the other’s way. Theirs is a slow burn romance as they navigate all the obstacles from within and without to finally come full circle. The romance plays out poignantly within the backdrop of a regional hospice. For one reason or another the romantic leads, Cha-young, and Lee Kang end up working there. The location is gorgeous and serene. An ideal setting perhaps for anyone receiving palliative care and putting their house in order before making their exit from among the living. 

Read the rest of the review at JangHaven Forums

The K2 (2016) A Retrospective

This happens to be one of those shows that I caught some time after it aired. I’ve liked Ji Chang-work as an actor since Healer but for one reason or another his drama choices haven’t always aligned with my interests or the timing hasn’t been right. I was leery of getting on board with K2 for some time because it seemed to be surrounded by a storm of controversy while it aired. So a couple of years ago after I had embarked on a Ji Chang-wook marathon, I scratched my head afterwards baffled by all the fuss that was generated. 

The premise of the show is this: A soldier of fortune while working in Iraq not only loses the woman he wants to marry (a local interpreter) but is then framed for her death. He does a runner and eventually returns to South Korea where he becomes embroiled with the head of a prestigious security company and her politician husband. After a series of encounters, he becomes a key member of her security detail in exchange for information that could help him clear his name.

It’s not a bad show. Quite good for the most part, in fact. There are even flashes of brilliance sprinkled about particularly in the first half. What seemed particularly enjoyable to me was the political theatre on display for public consumption and the behind-the-scenes wrangling that flew in the face of what the world was allowed to see. All of that was masterfully written and performed by seasoned veterans of the screen. In the most tangible ways, the machiavellian seniors dominate the story’s landscape with their machinations and under the table shenanigans. Their world is their stage to do what they will, consequences be damned. Onto this seedy platform steps K2, Kim Je-ha, former mercenary who will rock the boat until it overturns.

From what I had read it was largely the romance that people objected to. That was where the controversy arose. Apparently the expectation on the part of some viewers was that Ji Chang-wook should fall for the dubious and far more complicated Choi Yoo-jin (played brilliantly by Song Yoon-a) that he clearly mistrusted. From what the show does and the story it tells, it makes little sense to me that anyone could think that because Ji Chang-wook’s character, Je-ha, has a certain known history to draw on. It isn’t just that he’s attracted to a very specific kind of woman but also his general, undisguised suspicion of the rich and the powerful. There would be no way on God’s green earth a man like him would ever be romantically interested in Choi Yoo-jin, no matter what she felt for him because at the end of the day he could never wholly trust her to do anything unrelated to her self-interest. Anna (Yoona) notwithstanding. As far he was concerned, theirs was a transactional relationship based on mutual expediency. It didn’t matter how sympathetic the audience was to her plight, in his eyes, she was a dubious figure who used her power for her personal gain in all kinds of unsavoury deals. The lady locked up her step-daughter in the wonderful tradition of Grimm’s tales. I don’t doubt she responded to his inherent sincerity but she was his employer, not someone he could ever think of in that fashion. He’s certainly not interested in playing any kind of games that sees Yoo-jin refereeing. In fact, he thumbs his nose at all their antics.

Anna is depicted as an innocent, a particular type. Cloistered away (in effect imprisoned) for most of her life from any family because of a contract between her father and step-mother. There is no guile in her. It does make sense, given Je-ha’s inclinations as to why he is drawn to her. She’s the helpless underdog who has no one. A breath of fresh air in a world where every man, woman and their dog has an agenda. She just wants to be free, to live and to have choices. Now that is something that Je-ha can completely relate to. She’s a pawn like he is. A pawn he can’t help but want to protect. That is in his nature.

With all its obvious fairytale allusions, the drama plants its feet firmly within its melodrama roots. The older generation plots and schemes to build empires (or steal them) because… I don’t know… it’s their vengeance on a cruel world… or is it because they feel entitled to a piece of the action. Their rationale seems irrelevant. Of course if anyone plays that game long enough, there’s no getting out of that unscathed. Je-ha clearly doesn’t belong in that world. He stumbles into inadvertently. He unequivocally doesn’t want to be there. Who can blame him? He is figure that is above the fray untainted by all the hand soiling that goes on behind closed doors. Moreover he is the appointed incorruptible princely character that rescues Snow White from the clutches of Maleficent. 

Choi Yoo-jin is undoubtedly a fascinating character study wonderfully fleshed out in the story and during the performance. It’s not surprising that she elicits some measure of sympathy. But she’s not a figure of romance because power is her default weapon. It was drummed into her by her father from a young age. She craves affection undoubtedly and there might be some suggestion that her bid for power is really a cry for love. Could she have done a U-turn? It’s hard to say. Once a person goes down a particular path, there will be a moment from which there is no going back.

Anna is the obvious contrast. She’s a simple-minded, child-like creature. She has nothing, know nothing about wielding power. All she ever wanted was Daddy’s love and to be loved. In the end, the show does suggest that she and Yoo-jin both really wanted the same thing and they both get it only by giving up everything.

For me this is unabashedly a makjang morality tale. I’m not an avid watcher of the genre as a rule but when well-done it can be hugely entertaining and even addictive.

Bad Guys (2014) A Review

It doesn’t seem all that long ago when I caught this high octane, no holds barred blood and guts fest from OCN. Since then it seems to have developed something of a cult following not so much because of the whodunit side of things (which is entertaining enough) but because of the character dynamics. Detective Oh Goo-tak, a known maverick in the force, nicknamed “Mad Dog”, is tasked with grabbing the scummiest of criminal scum after the police chief loses his son to the murderous whims of a serial killer. Much to the chagrin of his “babysitter”, Inspector Yoo Mi-young, Oh Goo-tak scours the local prison(s) for his motley crew: Park Woong-cheol, a former gangbanger; Lee Jung-moon, a genius level psychopath; Jung Tae-su, a slippery ex-contract killer who, for unknown reasons, turned himself in. The cast as a whole is fantastic. It boasts the likes of Kim Sang-joong, Ma Dong-seok, Park Hae-jin, Jo Dong-hyuk and Kang Shin-il who are perfectly cast in their roles. Less impressive is the expressionless Gang Ye-won as the only female crime fighter on the team’s roster.

Read the rest of it at JangHaven Forums

Prison Playbook (2017-18) A Review

Those who know me well would know that I would get to this one eventually. I’m a broken record on this. It ranks highly amongst my all-time favourites… as close to a perfect drama as they come. It is an exemplar on how to get the best out of an ensemble cast. Whatever it does, either in storytelling or eliciting viewer emotions, it does superbly. It’s hard to believe now that it wasn’t something that grabbed my attention straightaway when Netflix was promoting it. To be frank, I wasn’t at all keen about watching a drama about prison life until I discovered that the wonderful Jung Kyung-ho was in it. I am forever grateful to him for bringing this gem to my attention. A gem that I have revisited several times since which is no mean feat considering each episode is 80-90 minutes each.

There is something inexplicably magical in this slice-of-life drama about the goings-on in detention centres and among their inhabitants. Perhaps it boils down to the crafting of the story. Props to PD Shin Won Ho and Writer Jung Bo-hoon for all their efforts in that regard.This prison backdrop seems to be an unlikely setting for a deeply moving and often hilarious story of male camaraderie. It isn’t all laughter and frolicking because the show doesn’t steer away from the darker side of prison life. The bleakness is undoubtedly felt but it is mitigated by a kind of gallows humour. Shin and Jung are indeed masters at playing with viewer expectations. The result being: I laughed a lot. I cried a lot. In fact I would often find myself on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from one moment to the next.

The show revolves around baseball sensation, Kim Je-hyeok, who on the eve of leaving for a career in MLB is charged with manslaughter for inadvertently killing his sister’s assailant. He is convicted and unhappily for him, lands in prison for a year. Much of the action sees Je-hyeok navigating life in two detention centres (pre and post trial) with the help of his longtime friend Jun-ho, now a prison guard. He is also aided and abetted by other fellow travellers playing the game of prison Survivor. As if things aren’t tough enough, there are villains in this. Genuinely nasty types whose mission in prison is to make life more of a nightmare for Je-hyeok than it already is. Fortunately for Je-hyeok, he gets a little help from his friends (even from unexpected quarters), making the trials and tribulations of prison life a tad more bearable.

The key to the show’s success, it seems to me, is the characters and the relationships. Long after we leave them (or when they leave us), we remember them. Their antics, highs and lows linger with us. Each story is told in flashbacks and we are privy to why those in Je-hyeok’s inner circle in particular end up in the slammer. There’s Min-chul, the cell boss who in his previous life was a gangster. During a nightclub brawl he ended up killing someone but escaped the hangman’s noose. In his early days in prison he finds God and in his spare moments, he reads his bible. Then there’s also Jean Valjean, his adopted prison “son” who stole a bread truck. Dr Ko, not an MD but a petition-writing former salaryman is a trusty colleague in the wood-working shop. Han-yang aka “Loony” is an immature but intelligent drug offender with Mummy issues that shakes the habit cold turkey in order to reconcile with his partner. Kaist the technical fix-it guy, and serial monogamist who is not exactly the nicest guy in the room has his story too. Some time later the former Captain Yoo Jung-woo, convicted of causing the death of a subordinate, joins them in that cell. Down the track, Je-hyeok is reunited with loyal fanboy Jailbird, completely living up to his nickname and the potentially dangerous Crony.

Even in a show like this there’s time to throw in a tiny bit of romance into the mix. Je-hyeok’s push-pull, on again, off again relationship with childhood friend turned girlfriend, Ji-ho which has been so much a part of his life is also given air-time in flashbacks. Love and baseball does mix. Even while she’s on the outside, she is no less important to his headspace as he bemoans the unfairness of life. It also explains why when Je-hyeok falls into a slump, it’s Ji-ho to the rescue. Nobody, not even Jun-ho knows Je-hyeok better than her.

One of the highlights of the drama is the way Je-hyeok maintains his baseball training in prison. I’m no fan of the game… a complete ignoramus in fact but I loved every single moment of those practice sessions where the men interacted and showed their growing affection for the one figure who brings them all together.

It isn’t all about the inmates. The prison guards play a prominent role in this as well. Most seem to be kindly gents who do their bit to make life less onerous for those behind bars. Officers Pang, Song, Jun-ho become pally with those in Je-hyeok’s cell. Even the chief warden has a hilariously transactional relationship with his beloved celebrity prisoner which is looked on disapprovingly by the martinet 2IC. 

Considering the subject matter, I daresay this is undoubtedly one of the funniest and most heartwarming K dramas that I’ve ever seen. It may start off slow for some but it’s not a bad way to waste 1280 minutes in any given week. I highly recommend it, my other half recommends it especially if you’re looking for something that doesn’t quite adhere to the usual K drama fare.

This is a repost of a review that I wrote for JangHaven Forums.

Stranger Season 2 (2020) Early Review

The first season introduced us to Hwang Si-mok, the titular character as a dispassionate, dogged prosecutor who was depicted and located as the consummate outsider to the colluding machinations of Big Business, judicial system and government. It was hugely successful from all accounts, gaining critical and popular acclaim at home and overseas. It also managed to pick up a swag of awards for its troubles. So it makes sense that a second season would be given the green light as long as the cast and crew had the will to make it happen.

Sequels are always tricky as we're well aware. Few sequels ever reach the heights of their predecessors not only because of the perpetual burden of expectations but because it is difficult to replicate the freshness of the original.

Judging from the first two episodes, it seems that the writer has wisely decided to take a different approach although the focus remains largely on the criminal justice system. The old gang (aside from any who died or were put behind bars in the previous season) returns with the addition of some new faces but it's two years later and the political landscape has seen some changes. The show lands us right in a middle of a turf war between the cops and the prosecutors bickering over investigative rights and authority in the determination of case closures. Many on both sides are on edge with neither side wanting to give in. It's a cold war conducted in full view of public gaze as each side attempts to weaken the other's credibility. When the political wrangling reaches boiling point, the big guns from each side decide to do what bureaucrats do when giving the impression that something is being done... form a committee made up of members from each side. Hence the Police-Prosecutor Council is born.

Si-mok who was relocated to a regional posting at the end of the first season is inadvertently recalled to Seoul to be part of this new committee. His old supervisor Chief Kang Won Chul doesn't think it's the best idea ever devised by a person because in his mind, Si-mok is a sword that should only be used for very particular purposes or he will end up back in the drawer of oblivion as he did cleaning up corruption two years earlier. Si-mok's response is that he can't stay in the drawer forever and it's clear he's itching to play with the big boys. Chief Kang is well-aware that Si-mok is not someone who can be easily swayed by tribal loyalties and perhaps his being in the Police-Prosecutor Council will do more harm and than good for "their side". 

Meanwhile his former comrade-in-arms, Inspector Han Yeo-jin has been seconded to the Intelligence Bureau within the police organization whose primary brief is policing reforms. Her boss Choi Bit is walking the tightrope of trying to keep promote the organization's interests outside its four walls while protecting the organization from hemorrhaging from within in this battle with the Prosecutor's Office. Yeo-jin has also been tasked to join the Police-Prosecutor Council to protect the organization's interest.

My own feeling is that there are decent but frustrated people on both sides who want to get the job done and hold on to their jobs. But the political wrangling is undoubtedly problematic for a number of reasons. It's a publicity nightmare that can't exactly be inspiring public confidence about the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in the country. Potentially it could compromise the integrity of investigations if both sides play oneupmanship with other people's lives in order to prove something. It can be exploited  by a an ambitious inveterate brown noster like Seo Dong-jae to get ahead in the organization's food chain. Frankly it feels that someone like Si-mok and even Yeo-jin are needed in such a situation. They once proved that the police and prosecution can be on the same side when larger concerns are at stake, so why not now? 

Although still wholly in set-up phase, the second season shows promise. For me the first episode brought in a whole myriad of characters whose importance had to be navigated through for a clear view of the bigger picture. The beach drowning incident although had more to it than first meets the eye became for the two sides a veritable political football. There was no criminal culpability in accordance to the law but the hasty determination was later used by Choi Bit to accuse the prosecution in front of rolling cameras of giving preferential treatment after Si-mok put in a complaint about the unseemly speed in which the final decision was handed down by the prosecution.

It feels to me in these early days that what's really at stake for Si-mok and for the show is the role of prosecutors. All the haggling over authority seem to be about the definition of a prosecutor and what sort of powers they should be entrusted with. Are they investigators? Are they members of the judiciary first and foremost? Is there role in the larger society to exact punishment or to correct? Or are they primarily truth seekers regardless of their tribal affiliations? 

Hospital Playlist (2020) Shin Hyun Bin's Audition Clips

When I wrote my last post about the WG dynamic a couple of days ago, I had no idea that the showrunners of Hospital Playlist would be releasing clips of Shin Hyun Bin's auditions the next night. Because there has been so much uncertainty in Soompi lately, I had decided to rewrite a few posts that we'd lost when the "Clubs" feature got lost in the internet black hole. That was one I had been itching to rewrite and finally had the time to do it.

I found the audition clips helpful in that they confirmed what the vast majority of us had already suspected... that the WG love line was established very early on. Both Shin Hyun Bin and Yoo Yeon Seok knew that it was on the cards before they had even met each other. They were given that piece of information right at the start presumably because they wanted the actors to prepare their respective roles with that in mind. From the way Shin-Lee described the character, I concluded that SHB nailed the character perfectly. She was able to capture all the facets and nuances of Jang Gyeo-ul. It was delightful too that her artistic abilities came in handy as she studiously prepared for her part in Episode 9. The other half was also impressed  at how they transformed the very attractive SHB into someone that might be considered "plain". The fact that they took the trouble and told SHB that they wanted to downplay her looks was very telling. The emphasis on her ordinariness validates my thinking on the subject.

It was noteworthy that they wanted to tell the story of the WG romance largely from the perspective of Gyeo-ul to emphasize aspects of her personality -- her straightforwardness and her innocence. That was something I had highlighted myself in the past. I was also chuffed to hear the PD say that the romance wasn't meant to be dramatic... or in my words... the main thing. I always understood that he wanted to keep the hospital coming and goings the main thing and in that context there would be some romance. According to him, the progression was always going to be slow because it is slated to be a multi-season drama. As far as I'm concerned, it validated my point that the WG dynamic is not a seat-warmer or stepping stone for Jeong-won and some other female.

Despite all that, it came to my attention that there are still some who doubt the long-term viability of the WG couple. The timing of my last post on the WG couple on hindsight was rather interesting. I don't need to rehash what I've already written except to say that the showrunners have spoken and they have given their characters a great deal of thought, not leaving any room for doubt. The fact that they asked SHB if she knew this was a multi-season show is suggestive. Sure, there are vested interests who think that there is wiggle room to postulate more theories because in their particular schema, they have no room for someone like Gyeo-ul to ever turn the head of someone like Jeong-won, as if he's a paragon of perfection and she is the chief of sinners.

It's Okay not to be Okay (2020) Episodes 15-16

Nothing about the last couple of episodes really came as any great surprise. Which is good news. It was all it should be and it was gratifying to see so much care and attention to detail given to the finale. As expected Sang-tae and Mun-yeong's first collaborative effort was not only autobiographical but was brimming with newfound hope. Wherever life takes them, the future looks brighter than before.

I applaud the show for staying true to its vision. The vision (I believe) was always to tell the story of 3 troubled individuals in accordance to a fairytale template and see them finding their happily-ever-after. The level of quality was consistent all throughout while successfully managing the juggling act of incorporating the stories of side characters into the arc of the main trio. As someone who loves stories and spend time obsessing over storytelling I believe that this show has done a superb job in that regard. It certainly begs the question as to why we don't see this kind of consistency more often. It seems to me often times that writers and directors are so desperately trying to be different for its own sake that they're quite prepared to destroy their own drama by their own hands with a meaningless resolution that has nothing to do with the rest of the show. One may conclude that the difference between a decent drama and a bad one in many instances lies in the consistency of its moral universe. A good one knows exactly what it wants to be and goes for it.

I don't suppose that there was much doubt that Gang-tae and Mun-yeong would find their way out of the abyss and slay the enchantress dragon because they've had a taste of what the alternative could be -- the warmth of a committed, loving family. Of course that doesn't take away from the fact that Do Hui-jae killed Gang-tae's mum. Facts are facts. Evil is evil. Its existence vanquished but not erased. But as the gesture of Sang-tae painting over Park Heng-ja's butterfly on his mural suggests what was supposed to be evil... the butterfly motif can be reinterpreted for good. It reminds me of what Joseph from the book of Genesis said. "You meant evil against me but God meant it for good, to bring it about so that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." They had sold him into slavery but in the way of unintended consequences, Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt during a famine and because of that their entire family was saved. Whatever guilt or misgivings that Gang-tae and Mun-yeong may have will be replaced by all that is good and true.

I'm not especially disappointed that the show did not explain Do Hui-jae's near death experience. I don't think it really needed to. The show wasn't about her. Because Do Hui-jae, the shadow witch, the Maleficent figure in this story is largely relegated to a kind of metaphor of persistent evil. She didn't die that time because well, evil isn't so easily eliminated. At least in that universe. She came back from brink of death because the show needed a malevolent force casting her shadow over the hospital and its inhabitants. In the end she was for the story a representation of pure evil that had to be defeated by the protagonists variously. Do Hui-jae aka was the tyrannical Mother who took on the facade of the wise Caregiver to ensure that her legacy lived on as she stalked the husband that tried to kill her. For us mere mortals it makes little sense. Why would a woman or anyone go to such extremes to prove that happily-ever-afters don't exist? Psychopathy, I'm not convinced, explains it all. 

Episode 16 was in my view, an unequivocal celebration of the individual but not necessarily in tension with the rest of the society. There is a sense that when individuals thrive, the community reaps benefits. That's evident with regards to Sang-tae. At the start of the drama, he is derided as a misfit reliant on his brother but eight weeks later when he finally finds an outlet for his artistic ability, he flourishes. His happiness is contagious and freeing. When he's showing off his new book to his mother's newly planted tree, he's not the only who's happy. Gang-tae is in the background with tears streaming down his cheeks genuinely happy for his brother as we are. No more mask, no more need for pretence. What's deeply poignant is that Sang-tae can now let his brother go with no fear: "Moon Gang-tae belongs to Moon Gang-tae." It's a declaration that they are each their own man even while they're siblings. Being brothers isn't a life sentence nor an obligation but a dynamic that undergoes change and develops over time. Because he has achieved something with his own hands and he now has his own goals, Sang-tae is secure within himself. He is not an appendage of his brother nor is his brother constrained to live primarily as his primary caregiver even if he's quite willing. This doesn't come at the cost of family and friendships... or any kind of a supportive community... the show is strongly communitarian. In fact, the community might end up being the biggest winner. But there's also a clear message that when individuals are ignored or undervalued, there will be other costs that society or their community will have to bear. There's a lovely roll call during the book reading of those who once took refuge under the It's Okay space: Kwon Gi-do, Kang Eun-ja were present at launch and their stories were referenced in the book.

In truth the happy ending isn't that Gang-tae and Mun-yeong end up together. Or that the villain gets thrown behind bars. Or even that Sang-tae becomes a professional illustrator. All of which are certainly desirable outcomes. The biggest triumph is for all three of them is that they overcame their particular deficiencies to plumb the possibilities... and what they're capable of... when push comes to shove. Before they came together in an almighty clash, they were in a rut going through the grind of daily living in survival mode. The Wizard of Oz allusions points to the fact that like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion, the characters each had potential which was lying dormant. It was always there within them and what they needed was the journey and the biggest challenge thus far in their lives for those qualities... bravery, love and strength. United they stood. They passed the final test.

It's Okay not to be Okay (2020) Episode 11

This drama undoubtedly deserves all the praise that it gets because there is much to praise but the best part of it is the layered storytelling or to use a fairytale analogy... the princess and the pea storytelling. There are all these mattresses that sit atop the pea but the pea is unmissable because the core of the show never gets lost in all the cleverness. Even while the storytelling is smart in how it weaves together various elements, it retains its heart.

Elsewhere I noted that the drama follows the traditional monomyth -- the hero's journey. Gang-tae has embraced the call to adventure. He has crossed a number of thresholds. The latest is the acknowledgment that he can find a way to live with being his brother's brother as well as to love Ko Mun-yeong warts and all. He has had his mentors in the form of Ms Kang (Ju-ri's mother) and Dr Oh the quirky head psychiatrist from the mental health facility to aid him in this acceptance of this call to a move from the familiar. His latest challenge is to lead the way... to teach both Sang-tae and Mun-yeong how all three of them can co-exist. But first, the onus was always on him to make that decision to build a new family with Mun-yeong in tow.

The show hasn't disappointed so far because it demonstrates a respect for its characters despite lapses of judgment here and there. When challenged to make hard choices, they often choose the long-term best after a time of angst and deliberation. After a few missteps, Gang-tae learns very quickly that he must find a way of navigating his long-time relationship with his older brother while trying to locate his blossoming romance with Ko Mun-yeong in the overall scheme of things. It is heartening to hear Gang-tae admit to his closest and oldest friend that he is finally being himself. No one is making him act outside the script. After many years of self-denial and being on the run from an unseen threat, he is gradually living the way he wants to. It's clear to the people around him that change has come to him. Dr Oh notes that he is finally showing his "true colours". These new developments aren't about Ko Mun-yeong as such but primarily about Gang-tae broadening his horizons and redefining his relationship with his brother. He has no intention of abandoning his brother as he explains to Mun-yeong but it doesn't mean that he doesn't want one or can't have a relationship with Mun-yeong. As I've said this elsewhere, his dilemma wasn't an either or situation. That was always a false dichotomy. The unpredictability of life often calls for changes in relationship dynamics which may bring about different levels of discomfort in the short-term while the negotiations take place.

Mun-yeong is learning the benefits of eschewing instant gratification of her darker impulses. It's bleakly hilarious on some level to see her acknowledging the advantages of not stabbing Park Ok-ran, the escaped patient, who came to her place in the middle of the night because she realises the benefits of keeping her emotions under wraps. Especially when Gang-tae visits afterwards and confesses all over again. Like a child she needs to learn patience while dealing with Sang-tae who is navigating his own learning curve that his brother isn't his property to command at will. Luckily for her and the audience, Sang-tae manages to grasp a few home truths within the time limitations of the episode. Behind this is the assurance that he isn't losing his brother but gaining another family member.

Lee Sang-in is a bit of surprise package these days. Not only is he humorously likeable for the most part, he's demonstrating that he really does care about Mun-yeong. Maybe a change is as good as a holiday. I am particularly enjoying the way the show sets him up with Ju-ri because she needs to know the possibilities and what being liked by a man looks like. The problem with unrequited love, particularly in the way it is depicted in dramas, the person who is doing all the liking often tethers their self-esteem and identity to the object of their affections. She needs to know that Gang-tae not being interested in her romantically isn't personal...  it certainly isn't about any character deficiencies deficiencies. Because what one man can't see, is another man's delight. Lee Sang-in, if he does nothing else right in this drama proves that Ju-ri is a person well-worth liking.

Over time Andersen's The Ugly Duckling story has been interpreted in a couple of different ways. It's often recounted as a story about late bloomers and even as a parable about finding one's true place in the world. Here Gang-tae reinterprets a familiar tale often associated with childhood to teach and to exemplify to Sang-tae the human need to belong in families and for the elders of families to have that inclusive spirit. He also looks to Sang-tae's favourite cartoon character as an exemplar of this family maker.

Ancient Detective (2020) Non-Spoiler Review

As someone who watches a lot of detective/crime dramas from everywhere, my verdict is that this one that does almost everything right. I say "almost" because there are a few niggly things in the storyline further along in the story that did frustrate me but as a whole the juggling act is quite commendable particularly when it positions itself fundamentally as a wuxia story. There have been quite a few offerings from Mainland China this year in the genre but the quality has been a mixed bag. The biggest problem, to my mind, is that most shows struggle to get the balance right. Characterization, relationship dynamics, romance, plotting, sub-plots. Some start off well enough but go off on tangents and lose their way. I sometimes wonder why directors and producers think that every drama in the crime genre has to have romance. It's clear that some shows don't lend themselves to romance or even if they did, the incorporation of it ends up being less than desirable. Fortunately this doesn't seem to be a problem here. Of the numerous C dramas that fall off the assembly line, this is actually one of the better products. I am supposing that the only reason why it's escaped wider notice is because of lesser known cast of actors that spearhead the series.

The story of Ancient Detective revolves around a young detective, Jian Buzhi who has emerged from the famed Shenji Valley to find out what really happened 8 years earlier in an almighty altercation with the terror of jiang hu (or the martial arts community), Wang Hua. He is the son and surviving successor to the mantle of jiang hu's greatest detective Jian Jinhuan who died tragically in the carnage to stop Wang Hua in his rampage. To complicate matters, the young detective has no recollection of the event. Jian Buzhi is played by the relative newcomer, Yu Jiwei who embuse the character with gentle and youthful elegance. The show loses no time in introducing the character as one that follows the Sherlock Holmes template. Not only does he produce the culprit by keen observation and deductive logic, he saves the hide of an innocent man and meets first time the man who later becomes his protector and loyal companion, Zhao Wohuan. Zhao isn't just his offsider. The bromance of the two men is one of the key elements in Jian's ability to navigate through the rough and tumble of jiang hu because Jian's Achilles' heel happens to be that he has no martial arts ability.

The romance serves the plot well. While they may be hints of a love triangle, none of that is played out fully or given full flight. The women in this show are independent, intelligent and logical human beings who never see themselves as victims of circumstances even when others might tempt them to do so. Jian's primary and only real love interest is Zhan Shiqi, a former mercenary/assassin now on the run from her former masters for absconding. The two only have eyes for each other and neither waver in the bumpy course of true love.  Jian is an impressive figure, a purist and idealist for truth and justice so it makes perfect sense that the woman he falls for can't be an ordinary one.

Zhao has his own romance thread with the mysterious Ming Yue, a member of the Assassins Guild. His brave and simple devotion attracts her even while she wrestles with her feelings for him and her duty to the guild. Despite the braggadocio at his expense, his dogged loyalty to his bosom friend and his eagerness to protect everyone he cares about is very attractive. Even a woman skilled in the art deception can't resist its allure.

Integrated into the main storyline are several arcs that serve as hurdles/stepping stones towards Jian's search for the truth about the death of Jian Jinhuan, the missing Wang Hua's body and his own amnesia. As with all such tales, he has a mysterious adversary who seems determined for him not to get to the heart of the matter. Each arc sees Jian employing his detective acumen in criminal cases while looking for a surviving member of the campaign against Wang Hua. They are styled very much in the vein old school, classic British whodunits with their own twists and turns coloured with a wuxia flavour. As if the show isn't complicated enough, Jian is poisoned not once but twice and so he's also up against the clock to solve mystery after mystery in order to reach his final destination.

Jian has many others in his ever growing travelling entourage that support his endeavours. He is a man that commands deep respect and loyalty from encounters in his journey. The likeability and reliability of his character ensures that when he needs help from his motley crew of skilled individuals, they jump to his aid.

The thing that surprised me most about the drama is that it did have fairly sophisticated things to say about the wuxia genre and the nature of heroism. That was something I hadn't expected. The fact that the protagonist is someone who has no martial arts in such a context demonstrates a push to rethink what a jiang hu hero should look like. He is given a martial arts manual as is often the case in traditional wuxia but unlike the classic trope, he gives it away to his friend preferring to rely largely on his mental prowess to deal with his opponents.

This was a drama that I marathoned relatively easily in 2 days. It has a friendly 40 minute, 24 episode format. It's one I recommend unreservedly mainly for its overall consistency, decent performances and intriguing sub-plots.

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) Initial Impressions

When I saw the first trailers and stills for this it occurred to me that this was a something that could go very well or very badly. Something about it didn't sit right with me admittedly and despite being on Netflix I was reluctant to pick it up while it was airing.

Three episodes in and I have really mixed feelings about this one. My early conclusion is that the show doesn't really know what it wants to be. While the premise is good, there are so many elements at play and not only does it feel overcrowded and stuffed, there's no real coherence to all of these disparate aspects. The show gives lip service to the sci-fi side of things, then goes straight for the romance and love triangle like your average rom com with fish-out-of-water elements and then it's also a bad cop drama with cringey comedic relief. Moreover, there are large chunks of backstory in flashback that don't seem to fit well with present happenings. It feels like there are three or four stories doing their own things perhaps in search of a script. The direction, the pacing are all very problematic. Compared to Mystic Pop Up Bar and It's Okay Not to be Okay, where the storytelling is super tight and the juggling act has been a delight, this show lacks purpose.

Considering the production values, the set pieces and the money they obviously threw at this, it's not coming together for me. While I didn't mind the first episode, the second and third felt like filler. Very little of those two episodes make a lot of sense to me. I certainly didn't understand Lee Gon's motivations for someone who was stuck in a parallel universe. Little of it sat well with me. He acts like someone following a script more than someone who is lost in an unfamiliar setting. I for the most part was wondering what in the world is going on, not certain why I should care about most of these people in Corea or South Korea. If you're supposedly following the Alice in Wonderland trope like The Matrix does, for instance then there should be more exploration and confusion. And definitely more circumspection.

What's worse is I'm not really feeling or buying into the romance which I imagine is supposed to be fairly important. It's partly a case of too much too soon I imagine. Lee Min-ho is satisfactory as the titular character and suits the role because he has a quiet elegance that is needed here. However, Woo Do Hwan's dual role is probably the one I'm most enthused about.

I liked Kim Go-eun in Cheese in the Trap and her chemistry with Park Hae-jin there but here, I keep wondering if she isn't miscast at some level. It isn't just her chemistry with LMH either. So far I find her unconvincing as this badass female cop.

I may give this another episode or two before I decide "yay" or "nay".

Mystic Pop Up Bar (2020) Final Remarks

This is a drama I feel that really needs a bit of a plug because it seemed to have gone under the radar. It's one that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and would have followed in its entire run if I hadn't been obsessing over Hospital Playlist. I'm not big on fantasy as a rule but this one didn't take itself too seriously and in so doing made itself highly accessible through its wacky humour.

Despite the budgetary constraints, the world-building of the drama was surprisingly quite consistent all throughout. In an absurdist nutty fashion. It drew on a hodgepodge of various religious traditions as well as the Journey to the West mythos as its source material. On top it does a decent job of juggling the mishmash of the modern, the ancient and the hilarious corporatization of the Afterlife. Certainly the 12-episode format helped in keeping things tight and disciplined. Now that I've seen this drama and 365: Repeat the Year, I'm now convinced that the majority of Kdramas could be greatly improved by being trimmed to 12 episodes.

The show also benefits from keeping the focus on where the focus needs to be and that's on the main trio. Sure it's a Korean drama and there's romance to feast on but ultimately the superhero teamwork of the three is what makes this show magical and heartwarming. I loved laughing along as our trio embarked on adventures and inadvertent misadventures to settle grievances for those who fell into their laps while earning brownie points for our female lead Weol-ju so that her past misdeeds can be atoned for. Each grievance case is delightfully incorporated with Weol-ju's tragic past and has some bearing on her present trajectory. Despite all the madcap antics on the surface there is a really wonderful love story lurking beneath.

I've always been fond of Choi Won-young since he came to my attention in Hello Monster. He's a fine, experienced actor who has played a whole gamut of characters. But this has to be my favourite role of his. From the start I didn't really believe that he would take on a role just to be the female lead's offsider and I was proven correct. I came to the conclusion while watching this that I like him very much as a straight character and an all-round Mr Nice Guy. I loved his skill set and that he wasn't just there to keep a lid on Weol-ju's fiery temper or be a mentor to young Gang-bae. All of the trio were really good here and their interactions whether it be humorous or poignant were always on the money.

Prior to this I was unfamiliar with the lad who plays Kang-bae, Yuk Sang-jae. But he holds his own with the veterans admirably especially in the humour department. I also enjoyed his rollercoaster romance with the kickass security guard, Yeo-rin, in an delightful exercise in role reversal. All their scenes were adorable beyond words.

Overall this was a morality tale hidden under the cloak of a fantasy-superhero team-up. Spirit beings who were cast down among the living in search of redemption find answers to the meaning of life and their purpose in the bigger scheme of things.