Drama Review: Defendant (???)

Selasa, 21 Maret 2017

Defendant (aka Innocent Defendant) is one of the most exciting dramas I have watched to-date this year (most probably will go onto my favourite list in 2017). Defendant will appeal to fans who like crime/legal thrillers, actions and even melodrama and after watching many dramas with a romance genre in it, I was eager for a change and I was so glad Defendant came up timely. 

The plot basically centers around prosecutor Park Jung Woo (starring Ji Sung) and his plans to escape from prison before he is sentenced to death for a crime of murdering his wife. However, Jung Woo suffered a temporary amnesia and has no idea what happened to that fateful night his wife was murdered and why he was the murderer. While many evidence points to him as the perpetrator, Jung Woo is sure he is being falsely accused because his last memory tells him otherwise. How he ended up in jail he absolutely has no idea. Adamant to find out the truth and to regain his memory, he began to plan his moves and has suffered numerous punishments and sacrifices before he could attain his goal of escaping. But his biggest challenge is to regain his innocence and finds the real perpetrator before he gets to him first. 

As this drama aired only two episodes per week, you can imagine how antsy I was to have to wait for a new week every time the last episode of the week ended. It was that good and I haven't had this kind of anticipation since Descendants of the Sun (totally a different genre, but you get the idea.) What I liked about this drama is aside from the actions and thrills, there was also emphasis on morality and empathy (even the comradeship between Jung Woo and his cellmates are heartwarming. And, no stereotyping. You would be surprised by the baddies here.) Ji Sung's acting was as stellar as his previous work and I always look forward to his new project. The plot and the characterisations are well crafted and every time a new situation (twist) happens, it gave me the thrills and I would anticipate what Jung Woo would do. This was a great thriller with a great cast. Highly recommended!  

� 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Drama Review: Pinocchio (???)

Senin, 19 September 2016

This (2014) drama basically tells a story of how a (intentional) misconstrued news report ruins a happy family. 

Ki Ha-Myeong (starring Lee Jong-Suk) and his older brother have always look up to their father who is a heroic firefighter. However, a fire at a waste facility destroys the happy family. The Ki family is further broken by the news report that their beloved father might have fled from the scene since his body was never found. The brothers are adamant that their father would never do such things but alas, there isn't any evidence to prove their point. Ha-Myeong's older brother is detained in a police cell one night after he tried to argue with the anchorwoman whom he felt had reported the news unfairly for the sake of viewership. 

The night he is detained, Ha-Myeong's mother decided to end her life together with Ha-Myeong. Ha-Myeong is saved by a kind elderly man, Choi Gong-Pil, who suffers from memory loss and thinks he is his eldest son, Choi Dal-Po, who passed thirty years ago. Ha-Myeong doesn't mind the deception, after all he has no family and he treats Gong-Pil as his father. He is then officially adopted by Gong-Pil and lives his life as Dal-Po. Ha-Myeong also befriends Choi In-Ha (starring Park Shin-Hye), who is Gong Pil's granddaughter and though they are "uncle and niece" relationship they are in the same age range. In-Ha has "Pinocchio Syndrome" and whenever she tells a lie she will hiccup. She idolises her mother who is a successful anchorwoman, but they rarely contact each other since her parents divorced. Ha-Myeong soon learns that In-Ha's mother is none other than the anchorwoman who had destroyed his family and he vows to bring justice back by becoming a reporter himself, but he also finds himself having feelings for In-Ha and it's not kinship. 

(I especially loved this scene, whereby In-Ha unknowingly brought a faulty umbrella for Dal-Po but is saved by the traffic cones over their heads, a witty yet sweet gesture by Dal-Po. It beautifully captures of their young love during their high school days.) 

(Their grown-up version and work as rookie reporters at rival networks)

Well, I was impressed and was filled with various emotions after finishing watching Pinocchio. It has all the elements I had hoped for in a melodrama like this - suspense, thought-provoking issues, complex relationships and romance. And most of all, I loved the storyline and the issues raised on misconstrued reports (to gain news impact and viewership at someone's cost? Are the reports we read based on facts or merely rumours/assumptions?) A reporter's job not only gather and report news but also carries the responsibility of giving informative as well as honest and accurate news timely. And I loved the spirit of the young reporters in this drama; they show us what it takes to be a reporter through many things they have to do to ensure those news are reached to you timely. And then, there is the romance between Ha-Myeong and In-Ha, which is both heartwarming and fluttering at the same time. Overall it was a touching drama with a great storyline in my opinion. Actor Lee Jong-Suk's latest drama in "W" was a joy to watch (a comics hero!), but this drama left a deeper impression on me.  

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Dramas: She Was Pretty (????) | Royal Family (????) (Thoughts)

Rabu, 02 Maret 2016

Starring: Hwang Jung-eum, Park Seo-joon, Go Joon-hee, and Choi Siwon (Released in 2015, 16 episodes) 

Synopsis From DramaWiki:

 A romantic comedy about two past acquaintances who meet again after they went through reversal of fortunes and appearances.

Kim Hye Jin was a very pretty girl from a rich family. After her family's publishing company went bankrupt, she experienced hardships and then lost her beauty too. Ji Sung Joon was an unattractive boy with low self-esteem, but grows up as a handsome and successful editor. As fate would have it, both of them end up work at the same magazine publishing company.

I always find it sweet and romantic to see childhood friends turned couple as the time goes, be it books, dramas or in reality. What's better than that in a relationship, knowing and understand your other half and accepting who he/she is. 

This drama doesn't have too many intense scenes for it leans more towards the pure, sweet memories of first love. I liked the hero's loving devotion towards the heroine despite the fifteen years separation. We can see through his devotion through his several small gestures, and while I was frustrated that the heroine didn't want to acknowledge him in the beginning due to her appearance, I can see her point since the hero has become a good looking man while she was the complete opposite. 

Friendship and team work are also another important elements in this drama. I have always been curious of the magazines industry and I was glad to see some 'behind the scenes' here and to understand how the staff work to have that final copy of a magazine into our hands. 

I also liked the scenes between the heroine and one of the supporting characters, Kim Shin-hyuk, who is also working in the same magazine publishing company. He is funny, loud and a straightforward man but he is also a humble and a sentimental person too, which I liked best about him. He is the heroine's supervisor at work and they developed a close relationship. He fell for her eventually, even if she is a plain old Jane. 

Oh, I didn't mention that the hero and the heroine are co-stars in Kill Me Heal Me, acting as siblings although they aren't blood related and he has loved her secretly. I was glad to see their love blossomed in this drama.

(4.5 stars)

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Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Ji Sung, Kim Young-ae (Released in 2011; 18 episodes)

Synopsis From DramaWiki:

For 18 years Kim In Sook has been ignored and never regarded as sister-in-law by her husband's brother and sisters. She's been isolated by everybody in her husband's family and she lived like an invisible person. Then things got worse when her husband died in a helicopter crash. Since then, her mother-in-law tried to deprive her of her guardianship of her son. Then Han Ji Hoon, who had a relationship with her in the past appeared as the lawyer of JK clan. And he witnessed her miserable situation. Then he decides to help her and resets his goal in life. That is, to turn In Sook, a woman who has been treated as rubbish into a Queen.

Ji Hoon leads a double life in JK clan, and makes arduous effort for the goal of saving In Sook. He finds that his feelings toward In Sook are more than gratitude and pity. She has become the only woman who makes his heart beat fast. It's just an untutored feeling. And he could abandon it just for the sake of In Sook. The story of Kim In Sook's battle against all odds to rise to the top of JK Group with the help of the lawyer Han Ji Hoon, a man who has supported her since they were children.

[Please note my thoughts below contain major spoilers]

Ah, there are so much hatred and emotions in this drama. Heated arguments, siblings rivalry, power struggles and revenge within a royal family (The royal family here refers to their strong connections and links with the political figures and its affairs.) which made me think they are enemies more than a family. 

What made this drama a worthy watch is the belief and faith of Kim In Sook and Han Ji Hoon for each other. Their trust in each other is so strong that they would risk their reputations and lives to protect each other. From the beginning, I have always wondered about Ji Hoon's feelings towards his guardian/sponsor, In Sook. After all, In Sook looked and acted more like his elder sister but I suppose love conquers everything. Their disappearance in the end was ambiguous for no one ever knows if they were perished or they have eloped. However, I'd like to think of the latter because it would be too sad to think otherwise.

(4 stars)

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Drama Review: Kill Me, Heal Me (???,???)

Minggu, 31 Januari 2016

I have mentioned before that I will be watching Kill Me, Heal Me after raving about Ji Sung's versatile acting skill not too long ago and here I am about to do so, again. 

While I thought the story of Secret was great, Kill Me, Heal Me tells a different story about a man who has dissociative identity disorder (also known as multiple personality disorder) due to some life-threatening traumatic events when he was a boy and how his encounter with a first-year psychiatric resident helps him in dealing with his condition ultimately. 

The premise is basically Cha Do Hyun (starring Ji Sung) is suffering from DID and depending on his mental state and emotions, he will "manifest" into one of his seven personalities. His personalities vary from a vehement man (with a hint of violence except to children and women) to a suicidal teenager; a witty man with a passion for boats and drinking to a feisty teenage "girl"; a 7-year-old "girl" and a mysterious Mr X who are both later revealed as part of the mystery surrounding his medical state. 

Hwang Jung-eum, who played Do Hyun's personal psychiatric, Oh Ri-jin, is once again co-stars with Ji Sung after their previous performance in Secret. I liked watching their exchanges so I was delighted to find they are pairing up again in this drama. Aside from these two, I also enjoyed the scenes between Ri-jin and her older brother, Ri-on. Despite they aren't biological siblings, how they feel and treat towards each other is equivalent or even exceed some siblings who share the same blood. There are times that I was really touched by their relationship. 

There are bits of child abuse element in this drama, though they aren't graphic and I was thankful for that; because the last thing I want to watch is seeing children being abused although I know in reality such things happen and it is all so sad and heartbreaking. 

There are a few surprises in the end and yes, I liked it that there was a twist. Most of all, I enjoyed seeing the different sides of Ji Sung's roles. I don't think I'd see him play so many roles in a drama other than this and I'm giving this a 5-star rating because of the storyline and not to mention Ji Sung's outstanding acting skill. 

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Some memorable lines between Do Hyun and Ri-jin: 

"Aren't you scared of the personalities that live inside of me?" 

"Well, it's a little tiring, but anyways, I want to be close with all of them. And comfort them. I've things to say to them as well. From now on, rather than "kill me" ask "heal me". Even if that happens, you guys will not die. You guys will be still alive in here. [Pointing to Do Hyun's heart] But you guys are no longer scattered pieces but like connected puzzles, you'll become a cooler picture. With the name of Cha Do Hyun, you guys will become a cooler person."

(Kill Me, Heal Me Trailer - Fanmade)

(All images credit to Google Images)

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Drama Reviews: Protect the Boss (????) | Secret (??)

Kamis, 21 Januari 2016

I'd had a blast watching two Korean dramas lately. Though they aren't new, it always thrill me to discover new-to-me artistes and getting sucked into the melodramas. I picked up Protect the Boss (released 2011) because it features a workplace romantic comedy and from it I discovered Ji Sung, an actor who played an immature young director of a company and how his secretary changed him to be a better person.

What makes this drama so interesting is not the boss himself but the feisty and tough secretary, Noh Eun-seol (starring Choi Kang-hee) who not only helps him in his work but also helps him in dealing his phobia of facing the crowds (think about giving a speech in front of a sea of strangers). Eun-seol may not have a fantastic certified qualifications (in fact she had a juvenile delinquent record during her school days), but what makes her stand out is her persistence and her ever positive attitude which has not only won her boss' heart in the end but also respect and admiration from the others. That said, Ji Sung's role is more comedic as he tries to act tough but shows his vulnerable, sentimental side instead. 

(4 stars)

Secret (aka Secret Love) (released 2013), on the other hand, portrays Ji Sung's role in a totally different perspective. Here, he is bitter and revengeful after having lost his girlfriend to a hit-and-run accident and would try every means to track and punish the driver himself, if the law enforcement hasn't got to him or her first. Although the driver did eventually turn herself in, she isn't the culprit and her confession is to protect her boyfriend, who has just started his career as a prosecutor. There are a lot of interactions between Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum (who played the wrongly accused driver) and I have to say both of their acting skills are excellent. While it was intense to see them entangled in a game of revenge, what most satisfying is seeing them falling in love with each other towards the end. Sigh.

Unlike Protect the Boss, this drama has brought Ji Sung's acting skill to another level as it allows the viewer(s) to see his transformation from a spoilt, rich, ruthless businessman to a righteous man who found peace and love towards the end. Clich� or not, it was moving nonetheless and I loved seeing his transformation. The ironic (and sad) thing about this story is while we see a "bad guy" slowly making his path towards righteousness, the other end we see a "righteous man" betrays, lies and corrupts for the sake of moving up the career ladder. The story may be overly dramatic but it does offer some food for thought. Because I was impressed with Ji Sung's acting, I am going to look out for his latest drama, Kill Me, Heal Me (released 2015). I am hoping this drama will surprise me with Ji Sung's versatile acting skill.

(4.5 stars) 

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