#kDrama
Bad Prosecutor
(2022 - Viki, 12 1:01 eps)

A prosecutor with a sense of justice so strong that he & his morally dubious gang find ways to punish criminals when the law isn't sufficient. Doh Kyung Soo is fantastic & has great fight scenes. Good acting by all, interesting side characters, a dose of comedy & a decent mystery made a pretty good drama. But we didn't get much background on anyone except the ML & character development doesn't happen.

There is no romance. We are left wondering how the prosecutor accumulated his great gang & why the 2nd ML does the things he does. His motivations seem to be for plot convenience, not because of his character. Not to be taken seriously, it is fun if you like D.O. & the OST has some great songs.

https://mydramalist.com/708415-true-sword-battle

#BadProsecutor #진검승부 #DohKyungSoo #DO #도경수 #LeeSeHee #이세희 #HaJoon #하준 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Live Your Own Life (2023)
(2023 - Viki, 51 1:05 eps)

The 2nd weekender (50+ eps) I've watched. 1st was 2014's "What Happens to My Family?" Both feel they were filmed in 2014. Premise is good - you shouldn't live entirely for others, but the writing was lacking.

The leads carry the show. When people are in dire situations, there is a LOT of whining & little action to resolve it. I did Fforward to get through the elders' tantrums & sulking. What these parents expect from their adult children is beyond understanding & although there is some growth it comes far too slowly.

I did keep watching because it was a little makjang & had some great twists - the last 20 episodes are when things finally start to happen & the show gets interesting instead of infuriating. I was pleased with how the story wrapped up, but the message about living for yourself was somewhat muddied.

https://mydramalist.com/749363-separate-lives-at-hyosim-s

#LiveYourOwnLife #효심이네각자도생 #Uee #유이 #HaJoon #하준 #GoJooWon #고주원 #WhooshReview

I first noticed Ha Joon (Song Ha Joon) in "Destined With You" where I thought he did a great job with the character.

Recently, he's accidentally popped up in everything I'm watching, starting with "Crazy Love," which I finished a few weeks ago. Then I started "Bad Prosecutor," where he is a power-hungry prosecutor playing the foil for Doh Kyung Soo's character. Then I watched "Live Your Own Life," where he finally gets the leading man role & is perfect for it (script could have been better, but he did great with what he had).

Next was "Please Don't Date Him." It's not credited, but I swear he's the voice of the refrigerator. I recently started 2018's "Radio Romance," where he again plays a character where we don't know if he's good or evil. That type of character seems to be his niche role. Maybe because he can be so sweet, but also so convincingly evil?

#kDrama #HaJoon #하준 #SongHaJoon #송하준#WhooshActor

#kDrama
Crazy Love
(2022 - D+/Hulu, 16 1:05 eps)

It's a common trope: narcissistic, super-smart jaebol & secretary, enemies-to-lovers story. A "Sec. Kim" feel but better char. dev & some dark humor. Acting is excellent. Story goes beyond romcom with a look at emotional pain, vengeance, & forgiveness in beautiful & silly ways.

1st few eps are slow to get everything set up. The CEO gets a death threat, but his past behavior means he has a lot of enemies & figuring out whodunit is hard. The FL grows through tragedy. Now free to seek revenge, she uses devious yet hilarious (who would think to use a hole punch in that way?) methods to get back at her nemesis. Cute 2nd couple, intriguing villains with their own stories, crazy side characters, decent chemistry, great OST, & all sorts of humor make this a really enjoyable watch.

https://mydramalist.com/706923-crazy-love

#CrazyLove #크레이지러브 #KimJaeWook #김재욱 #KrystalJung #크리스탈정 #HaJoon #하준 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Destined with You
(2023 - Netflix, 16 1:10 eps)

DWY is proving very popular on Netflix. People seem to love or hate it. Complaints are addressed in a reply.

Cinematography is gorgeous - the most beautiful tragic murder scene ever. The director used the surroundings extremely well - all the flower symbolism - look up "Hong Jo", the heart in the city's sign, & the bird that decided to help with the shoot.

One of the funniest kDrama eps I've ever seen is DWY #4. Rowoon's physical comedy is brilliant. With this, he has proven his capabilities. I also like Jo Bo Ah so much better in this than Nine-Tailed. At times her character annoyed me, but her choices emphasized that she had been alone for a long time. The chemistry between them is off the charts cute & sexy! Loved the references to other kDramas.

One of my top 5 favorites! Totally rewatchable!

https://mydramalist.com/734875-irresistible-love

#kDrama #DestinedWithYou #이연애는불가항력 #JoBoAh #조보아 #Rowoon #로운 #HaJoon #하준 #Yura #유라 #WhooshReview