#kDrama #WhooshReview

*** Eulachacha Waikiki 2 ***
(2019 - Viki 16 1:10 eps)

[!!CW!! Synopsis & non-spoilery review.]

On a Kim Seon Ho quest, I watched. It turned out to be season 1 repeated with new cast aside from Lee Yi Kyung - same ridiculous gags and juvenile humor.

The guesthouse is in trouble again & the manager (a wannabe actor) asks his friends (a wannabe singer & a wannabe baseball star) to invest. 3 couples end up living in & running the guesthouse. Lots of tropes, slapstick humor, some parental relationship troubles, some disasters & a lot of miscommunication make for some funny & touching moments with a good message about perseverance.

The 3rd leads have a lot of growth & their story stole the show. The acting was very good - a format Lee Yi Kyung excels at, but the writing was lazy - just a rehash of last season's script.

https://mydramalist.com/29322-eulachacha-waikiki-2

#EulachachaWaikiki2 #으라차차와이키키2 #KimSeonHo #김선호 #LeeYiKyung #이이경 #ShinHyunSoo #신현수 #MunKaYoung #문가영 #AhnSoHee #안소희 #KimYeWon #김예원

#kDrama #WhooshReview

*** Monthly Magazine Home ***
(2021 - Viki 16 1:00 eps)

[!!CW!! Synopsis & non-spoilery review.]

A sr. editor at a monthly housing magazine runs into trouble when the new CEO turns out to be her new landlord. The potential of a story about what it means to have & make a home is unfortunately squandered. The storyline meanders & never finds a good, solid direction.

The cast is marvelous (great guest roles too) & carries the show - a cliched, tropeful story with a self-made, rich, cold boss & a poor, struggling jr. involved in a love triangle, & the worst noble idiocy & time-break/leap I've seen so far.

If you like architecture & seeing a variety of homes (some from other dramas), & appreciate the actors, it's a fun, often silly, kind of sweet watch through eps 15. Just stop there, & it'll be good. The writer went off the rails in the last episode & there's just no redemption possible.

https://mydramalist.com/59909-monthly-house

#MonthlyMagazineHome #월간집 #KimJiSuk #김지석 #JungSoMin #정소민 #JungGunJoo #정건주

#kDrama #WhooshReview

*** When the Phone Rings ***
(2024 - Netflix 12 1:08 eps)

[!!CW!! Synopsis & non-spoilery review.]

The presidential spokesperson's dad is running for president & so his life is orchestrated for him. His arranged marriage encountered a hiccup & he married a mute sign language interpreter. They were just 2 people living together on their own -- until his wife was kidnapped.

A makjang with some profound writing, & very suspenseful! However, you must assume the FL is bouncy or some things aren't believable. Talented actors playing interesting characters with growth, amazing chemistry, cute 2nd couple, bromance & womance make a binge-worthy watch.

Communication is a central theme in this story. The questions of how you speak your mind, when you speak your mind, & who has the right to tell you whether you are allowed to speak or not apply to several characters.

https://mydramalist.com/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed

#WhenThePhoneRings #YooYeonSeok #유연석 #ChaeSooBin #채수빈 #HeoNamJun #허남준 #JangGyuRi #장규리

#kDrama #kMovie #WhooshReview

*** Officer Black Belt ***
(2024 - Netflix 1:48)

[!!CW!! Synopsis & non-spoilery review.]

Delivering chicken, playing video games, & practicing martial arts seems enough for Kim Woo Bin's character. One day he saves a Martial Arts Officer. He's asked to cover the officer's job while he recovers. His parole officer partner recommends that he becomes an official Martial Arts Officer.

Warning: the crimes depicted in the show are awful & may be triggering.

The fighting is amazing - great choreography. You will *hate* the bad guy. What's unique is that Kim Sung Kyun really brings compassion to the role of the parole officer & the fun-seeking fighter sees things from a fresh perspective.

In less than 2 hours, Kim Woo Bin provides us with wonderful character growth & a great bromance. It was also interesting to see how an unfamiliar area of the S. Korean penal system works.

https://mydramalist.com/755839-officer-black-belt

#OfficerBlackBelt #무도실무관 #KimWooBin #김우빈 #KimSungKyun #김성균

#kDrama #WhooshReview

*** Love Your Enemy ***
(2024 - Viki 12 1:10 eps)

[!!CW!! Synopsis & non-spoilery review.]

A trope-filled romcom about rivals since birth. They meet again at their old school as teacher & admin. The old relationship battles begin again.

Both MLs were great, but FLs fell flat. The saving grace in this drama is the backstory. Both of the young leads are fabulous & their chemistry can be felt!

It had a lot of potential, but every storyline seemed to miss the mark & it feels like they pulled problems out of a hat to fill space. Fun cameos & FL's grandpa is a great character, with a couple of his own storylines but neither end up being what they should have been. The love triangle is handled well & there are some funny moments if you aren't looking for reality.

It did make me interested in Ju Ji Hoon's other work & I will be on the lookout for those young actors.

https://mydramalist.com/763553-love-on-a-single-log-bridge

#LoveYourEnemy #사랑은외나무다리에서 #JuJiHoon #주지훈 #JungYuMi #정유미 #KimYeWon #김예원 #LeeSiWoo #이시우

#kDrama
The Penthouse: War in Life (2020)
(2020 - Viki 21 1:25 eps)

[!!CW!! Synopsis & non-spoilery review. Search/Avoid with #WhooshReview]

Residents of Seoul's top luxury apartment will do *anything* to help their families succeed at the noted arts school & climb the ladder of success, including getting rid of anyone in their way. The parents' behavior is echoed in the high schoolers bullying their competition. A revenge scheme becomes the priority & things get crazier.

An entertaining revenge makjang: usual flat characters with no growth & completely erratic behavior - almost all are easy to hate. Superb OTT acting with murders, back-stabbing, jealousy, cheating (in more than 1 way), high finance & more unbelievable plot twists. The cinematography & costuming leans into the dramatic & the sets provide a lot of symbolism. We even have a costume party with Rococo costumes to drive home the point of privilege.

https://mydramalist.com/53535-penthouse

#ThePenthouseWarinLife #펜트하우스 #LeeJiAh #이지아 #KimSoYeon #김소연 #Eugene #유진

2024 End of the Year Drama Challenge

Day 30 - Was 2024 a good drama year for you?

***** EXCELLENT DRAMA YEAR!! *****

I am too embarrassed to say exactly how many dramas I watched this year. There were so many fantastic ones that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I tried to review almost every drama I watched so that I could remember what they were about. If you're curious, you can search the hashtag #WhooshReview.

[Note: You can also filter the reviews out of your timeline with this hashtag if you don't want to see them.]

#EYDC2024 #kDrama

#kDrama
Knight Flower
(2024 - Viki 12 1:06 eps)

A fun historical! A widow in a Joseon noble family has to mourn all day (for 15 years) & isn't allowed out. To appease her thirst for adventure & justice, the widow dons a mask at night & uses her martial arts skills to help the needy. She encounters the new captain of the Royal Guard & misunderstandings abound.

It does have court politics & the usual treason, but it's not terribly complicated. There's a lot of humor & the chemistry is unfortunately good because Joseon widows can't do anything about their desires.

Bromance, great side characters (with fabulous actors), sweet moments, thrills, fighting & some twists make it really entertaining. Most episodes have fun epilogues. The story is well-written with well-developed characters who still experience growth. It would be a great historical to start with.

https://mydramalist.com/743683-flowers-that-bloom-at-night

#KnightFlower #밤에피는꽃 #LeeHaNee #LeeJongWon #LeeKiWoo #KimSangJoong #WhooshReview

#kDrama
The Atypical Family - REWATCH
(2024 - Netflix 12 1:10 eps)

Even better the 2nd time around!

A dysfunctional family of superheroes who have lost their powers due to modern mental health problems meets a woman who surprises them all & things begin to change.

I was able to pick up on the small clues this time around & a big theme hit me differently. A family that can see the past & the future can't begin to see what's right in front of them in the present. Another idea I liked was that "an ending is a beginning."

Stellar acting, wonderful chemistry, great story, & meaningful cinematography definitely made the rewatch worth it!

https://techhub.social/@whoosh/112593459809405967

#TheAtypicalFamily #히어로는아닙니다만 #JangKiYong #장기용 #ChunWooHee #천우희 #WhooshReview