KDramas I have watched (and loved) in Q1 2024
It has been awhile since I wrote review and I am pleased that now I have a bit of time to share what I am watching (or have watched). Some I am still watching (but the series already ended) or already completed. I hope you have fun with Kdrama as much as I do !
Given that we are going to go into fasting month, hopefully these will be something that accompany you during weekend and ngabuburit. Minal Aidzin wal Faidzin and Happy Fasting !
Flex x Cop
The first time I read the title, I was not sure what it means and how interesting will this be. However, I generally like Ahn Bo Hyun. He was cool in Military Prosecutor Doberman as well as in See You in My 19th Life. I also like Park Ji Hyun who I first saw in Reborn Rich and thought she was equally cool. Kim Jae Hong as director who has done Revenant, which is absolutely a great series, make me curious as well what can he do with this mix of stellar cast.
I am not disappointed. This is a series adopted from the Russian series called Silver Spoon and the director and the screenwriter has proven to be able to successfully translate this well to a Korean setting. The storyline itself is quite interesting albeit a bit standard to begin with. Jin Yi Soo (Ahn Bo Hyun) is a third generation chaebol who plays a dilettante of a guy and suddenly get trapped in a middle of a case. Since then he was somehow trapped into joining violent investigative team at the Kangha Police Station under Detective Lee Kang Hyun who is a no non-sense leader with a baggage. Since then he and Kang Hyun partnered to solve difficult cases where Yi Soo innovative and daring ideas help break the case (and so his power as a chaebol son). Throughout the series, both of them work through their respective baggage and become trusted partners.
The series is a thriller-action-comedy series powered by the strength of Ahn Bo Hyun whose acting is outstanding as cheerful yet brooding of a chaebol son. This character can easily go sideways with one dimensional acting but Ahn Bo Hyun managed to make the character rich. I can just watch this series on the merit of the strength of Ahn Bo Hyun acting alone. However, the casting of this series is stellar with various of veteran supporting characters such as Kwon Hae Hyo and Yoon Yoo Seon as Lee Kang Hyun parents, as well as Jang Hyun Sung as Jin Yi Soo’s father. Not to mention the character of Pak Joon Yong and Choi Kyung Jin as fellow detectives are played nicely by Kang Sang Jun and Kim Shin Bi.
While the props are typical of this kind of drama, but I have to highlight that the costume are designed to be very nice and frame each of the character well, particularly the detectives and Jin Yi Soo. It added the enjoyment of watching the series, it makes feasting the visual so much better.
Absolutely a must watch ! (by the way its popularity is evidenced by its rating at 14.2% – a double digit)
Shop for Killers
Actually this series as a concept cannot go too wrong. Lee Dong Wook playing a fast pace violet action movies about assassins cant go too wrong. Then we have Kim Hye Joon who played brilliantly in Inspector Koo series (as Song Yi Kyung), it is one of the most brilliant series I have watch in 2024 so far.
The story is about Jeong Jin Man and Jeong Jin Ahn, uncle and niece, who has so much misfortune. Jin Ahn parents are dead while Jin Man has been informed by the police to undertake suicide. This puzzle Jin Ahn who never see Jin Man as suicidal uncle, he is merely has a lot of dimension and complicated. Jin Ahn found herself to inherit a mall for killers and somehow found herself to be chased by a lot of unsavoury characters, and has to rely on her uncle past training and weird advise to help her survive, as well as a band of equally unique characters collected by his uncle to help her through the ordeal. This story is developed from the novel by Kang Ji Young called Sarinjaui Syopingmol.
The story largely show Jin Ahn journey as she needs to quickly learn how to defend herself and deal with all kind of unsavoury characters. It also is telling story on how Jin Ahn relationship with people around her change overtime, some who were thought to be close apparently traitors and some who seems to be out for her, in fact is on her side. Kim Hye Joon acting is nothing short of spectacular to carry the series nearly at the equal weight to Lee Dong Wook. I have no doubt that Kim Hye Joon has a lot of promises in the future seeing this series.
The set (which is multi level underground malls) and the prop (that include all kind of robots and drones) makes the series even more exciting as well as the excellent characters that fit their acting well into the sub-genre. Korean has lately grown very good into the sub-genre assassin-related series. Kill Boksoon was one of the series in the sub-genre that I particularly like (see my previous review, this one is special because it is also a chick-flick, another sub genre I love).
If you look for the thrill of assassin related movies/series, with dark undertone, with sophisticated weaponry and strong dialogue, this series definitely is for you. Or if you are like some of my friends who simply is a big fan of Lee Dong Wook, this is also a great one for you, to see Lee Dong Wook at its prime acting. Or if you like me who love chick flick series, this also is one for you to savour.
Marry My Husband
I do not – as a rule – enjoy makjang series. Makjang subgenre is a subgenre of drama that is filled with emotionally draining and intricate storyline that is borderline believable. For some reasons these drama have been successful (Penthouse, World of Marriage, etc) but is never the one for me. However, I will share two of my very firsts makjang series that I watch simply because I like the actors casted in it.
The first one is Marry My Husband, starred by Park Min Young (one of my favourite k-actress) and Na In Woo (a recent favourite since Mr Queen). For those who are not familiar with Park Min Young, she is one of the finest rom-com and drama queen in Korea. She has stellar records my favourite being Healer which she starred with Ji Chang Wook and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim with Park Seo Joon. She simply light up the screen and typically make her male lead counterpart look good, just like Zhao Lusi in Chinese Drama. The Director is Park Won Gook who is known to direct also Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist, one of my favourite rom-com series in 2022-2023.
This series is not just sub genre of makjang drama but even further it has a fantasy element particularly time travel, even further, it has a touch of comedy sprinkled expertly throughout the series. The series is about the life of Kang Ji Won (Park Min Young) who is married to Pak Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung) but theirs is not a great marriage due to Min Hwan nasty characters and his up-to-no-good mother. Ji Won, who is ill, is not only the breadwinner but also handle the working of the household herself while Min Hwan is having affair with her best friend, Jung Soo Min (Song Ha Yoon). In the end, Ji Won died in the hand of Min Hwan. Fast forward Ji Hwan woke up 10 years earlier during her dating period with Min Hwan and thus she is getting a second chance. At the same time, Yoo Ji Hyeok who is the manager at the same company likes Ji Won but also shoulder a lot of baggage.
While Park Min Young and Na Im Woo acting are very strong to carry the series, honor also go to Lee Yi Kyung and Song Ha Yoon who played antagonistic roles superbly. They both equally carry the series very well and successfully arouse negative emotion like antagonistic roles supposed to do (to a point where Lee Yi Kyung ask for forgiveness up front to the audience). Supporting cast such as Ha Do Gwon and Gong Min Jung who played the colleagues (Lee Suk Joon and Yang Joo Ran) also played very well as supporting story with very strong emotional undertone, I was thinking that their story alone can be a separate spin off of the series itself. I have to say that there are comedic moments for all main casts and none of them failed in carrying through with sufficient comedic sense, having said an honor goes to Lee Yi Kyung who make his character very rich dimensionally.
I know many of us (me including) are weary to get sucked into a makjang series for fearing not able to get out of the addiction. This is just a standard 16 episode series of makjang with time travel thrown in, if you have never watch one, make this your first one. You’ll be blown away by how enjoyable the series is. After all double digit rating (11%) cannot be so wrong.
While Korea drama is not known to show typically amazing picturesque videographer, this one on a frame-by-frame basis is absolutely a feast in the eye, not to mention the costume which is a typically beautifully set Korean high fashion. Beautiful story, strong acting, fabulous comedic sense, lovely video graphing and fabulous costume, nothing fall short in this series.
Absolutely great watch, this one.
My Happy Ending
Still in the theme of makjang, this one is also another alternative for you to consider. Jang Na Ra is a queen of Makjang with Oh My Baby, VIP and Fated to Love You (although Sell Your Haunted House and Family: The Unbreakable Bond also show she is equally at ease in action-themed series). So as far as Jang Na Ra concerns, if it is Makjang series with her name, it will be pretty intense. Then there is another favourite of mine, Son Ho Jun who also headline the series. I watched Son Ho Jin since Terius Behind Me and Was It Love in which he acted very well. The Director of the series is Jo Soo Won who has directed Doctor John, Thirty but Seventeen, Pinocchio and Awaken – all have a lot of makjang elements in it. These are stellar if not near ensemble when it comes to developing a makjang series.
The story revolves around Seo Jae Won (Jang Na Ra) who has near perfrect personal and work lives as CEO of successful furniture company with Heo Soon Yong (Son Ho Jun) as her husband and also a professor as well as their daughter, especially as Soon Yong prioritize his family life over everything else. Life is made even better with Yoon Teo (Lee Ki Taek) as her side-kick of a general manager focusing on design. At the same time Kwon Yun Jin (So Yi Hyun) who is her close friend experiencing exact opposite situation with her divorce and challenge at her art career. Soon Yun Jin jealousy took a different level of intensity that lead to betrayal for people around Jae Won. Safe to say, the rest of the story is the very definition of makjang.
The challenge with makjang is that many people will get exhausted and hate the twists taking place throughout the episodes, but if you do decide to savour this series, enjoy the twist and turn of the (nearly impossibility) of the story as part of experiencing makjang at its best. If the story linear, it wont be a good makjang. It is a great makjang when you remonstrated and said “what ?? It doesn’t make sense !!”.
I have seen Jang Na Ra in Fated to Love You (with Jang Hyuk) which is also a Makjang and then I respect her consistent ability to act energetically to drain emotion of the audience. This has been the case also with this series and she truly carry the series well. Son Ho Jun has never been in this kind of intense makjang drama, he is doing well for his maiden acting in makjang series.
Enjoy !
