“Law School”-April 14-June 9, 2021 jTBC-16 Ep.

https://mydramalist.com/62623-law-school

Plot:

This story is one for the books; law books. At Hankuk University Law School the mock trial for 1st year law school students is starting. However, during the trial law professor, Seo Byun Joo, is found dead. To put another kink into the case, law professor known by his students as “Yangcrates” (due his harsh tone and strict teaching method) is arrested and charged with the murder. This shocks the school and a set of 1st year law students; 7 of them infact. These 7 students set on a course to find out if Yang Jong Hoon, aka ‘Yangcrates’, killed professor Seo Byun Joo. Like with any K-dramas there are twist, secrets, and shady dealings that will be uncovered. For example, some of the 1st year law students are considered suspects or accomplices of the crime that took place during the mock trial. Watch “Law School” to find out how 7 law students first year at law school will end.

Staring:

Kim Myung Min as Professor Yang Jong Hoon (Stared in ‘White Tower’, ‘Six Flying Dragons’ and ‘Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead’)

Kim Myung Min as Professor Yang ‘Yangcrates’ Jong Hoon PHOTO CREDIT: My Drama List https://mydramalist.com/photos/eQLd8_3

Yang Jong Hoon is a former prosecutor who turned professor after a certain event that happen during his career as a prosecutor. He teaches criminal law at the prestigious law school, Hankuk University. He has former ties with professor Seo Byung Joo.

Kim Bum as Han Joon Hwi (Stared in ‘Boys over Flowers”, ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed Fox’ and ‘Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead’)

Kim Bum as Han Joon Hwi 1st year law student who pass the law entrance exam first try PHOTO CREDIT: My Drama List https://mydramalist.com/photos/ERyLm_3

Han Joon Hwi is a 1st year law school student who gets top grades and is at the top of his incoming law school class. Not only is he smart and good looking, he is an easy going person who is able to lead his class with ease. However, he has a deep secret and a connection to the law school that may change his perfect qualities.

STUDENTS:

The two Kang Sol’s:

Kang Sol [B]

Kang Sol B (Lee Soo Kyung plays this role): Smart, cold, and star top student comes from a wealth family. All that shines may not be gold with Kang Sol B. She also has a deep connection to the university and a secret that may knock her off as the top student of her law class.

Kang Sol [A]

Kang Sol A (Played by Ryoo Hye Young) : went to law school off a whim. She is not the smartest student or the best when it comes to studying. She is either last or at the near bottom in ranking in her law school class. She got into law school on a special scholarship. She comes from a poor family who has struggled. She has two siblings, a younger sister and a twin sister. She too has a connection to Hankuk University and a past that may affect her future as a lawyer.

Seo Ji Ho

Seo Ji Ho (David Lee plays this role): Smart student and top of his law school class. He came to law school to get revenge for his father’s death. He became a law student to use the law to help him expose the corruption in the unjust prosecution of his father that lead to his father’s death. He specifically picked Hankuk due to the connection with his father’s death. He has a connection to Kang Sol B.

Jeon Ye Seul

Jeong Ye Seul (Played by Go Yoon Jung): A pretty girl who is also fashionable with her style. She has a habit of showing up late to class. She always has an excuse as to why she is late to class. She is not the worst student but not in the top of her law class; she is somewhere in the middle. A bright student who harbors a secret she does not want to be exposed. She is dating the son of assemblyman Ko Hyeong Su. Due to her secret she has a small connection to the university and that secret could affect not only her but the whole law school.

Yoo Seung Jae

Yoo Seung Jae (played by Hyun Woo): is a former medical doctor/medical student who switched to law school. However brilliant, he has a dark secret that could derail his law school plans.

Min Bok Gi

Lee Kang Ji as Min Bok Ki PHOTO CREDIT K-popped https://k-popped.com/2021/05/get-to-know-the-up-and-coming-young-actors-of-law-school/

Min Bok Gi (Lee Kang Ji plays this role): is one of the bottom law school students in his class. Determine to become a lawyer; however, not as bright as his other classmates. He is the comic relieve of the group. He has a huge crush on Jeon Ye Seul.

Jo Ye Beom

Jo Ye Beom (Kim Min Seok plays this role): An average law school student who is part of the 1st year study group with Han Joon Hwi, both Kang Sols’, Seo Ji Ho, Yoo Seung Jae, Jeon Ye Seul, and Min Bok Gi. He is very quick to pass judge on people without having all the facts; which is one thing a lawyer will need when trying a case, facts right? He also is quick to jump on the side that seems to be wining even if he does not have all the facts or follows the majority of what the crowd thinks. He prefers to not make waves and get through law school even if he has to bounce back and forth between sides.

Law School Faculty

Kim Eun Suk

Kim Eun Suk (played by Lee Jung Eun) is a former judge who turned professor and works at Hankuk University. She teaches civil law and runs the law center at the university. She has a connection to Seo Byun Joo and Yang Jong Hoon. She is also one of Yang Jong Hoon’s supporters and friends.

Seo Byun Joo

Seo Byun Joo (Ahn Nae Sang plays this role): Is a law professor and alumni of Hankuk University Law School. He has done some shady illegal acts during his time as a prosecutor and professor which were done prior to his death. These actions surface not only due to his death but due to the connection with Han Joon Hwi and Yang Jong Hoon.

Dean Of the Law School

Kil Hae Yeon as Dean Oh Jeong Hee PHOTO CREDIT IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13885336/mediaviewer/rm1767033857/?ft0=name&fv0=nm2197560&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame

Sung Dong II

Sung Dong II (Played by Woo Hyun): he runs the copy center at the law school. He at times gives advice to the 1st years and provides the 1st year law students a space to study or take a break.

Vice Dean of the law school

Oh Man Seok as Vice Dean Kang Joo Man PHOTO CREDIT My Drama List: https://mydramalist.com/photos/XmyQg_3

Vice Dean Kang Joo Man (Played by Oh Man Seok): his family has serious personal issues that he himself covers up. He does his best to not let people know about his family personal issues and he hides the fact he is Kang Sol’s B father. Most of the personal issues comes from his wife who is extremely disappointed that Kang Joo Man is the only one out of his family who did not become a judge. His wife is so disappointed that Joo Man is just a mere professor, she takes out her disappointment on Kang Sol B. This has cause severe issues within the family. His wife and Sol’s mother is overly pushy, controlling, and planning each move in Sol’s life. This spills over into the law school.

REVIEW

KIM BUM. Enough said. He is one of my favorite actors since ‘Boys over Flowers’. I have only seen a few of his works but I can say he is great at what he does. The show that sealed my love for him as an actor was ‘Mrs. Cop 2’. The drama was not that good, in my opinion; however, Kim Bum’s role as a villain was SPOT ON! He was the reason I watched and finish ‘Mrs. Cop 2’. Then his comeback after his military services was ‘The Tail of the Nine Tail Fox’ and ‘Law School’. He even played a villain in ‘The Tail of the Nine Tail Fox’ which he did very well. Enough about Kim Bum’s acting career let’s get onto the review of ‘Law School’.

When I watched ‘Law School’ I thought this would be a straight up all Kim Bum drama. But it wasn’t which was not a disappointment. ‘Law School’ utilized each actor ability and was able to focus on telling each of the characters, big or small, story. Plus each cast of characters were part of the whole story…even if it small. That I liked ALOT. Sometimes in K-dramas or Asian dramas, the side stories are just fillers for the show. Sort of a break from the heavy or deeper main plot of the show. Or an emotional palate cleaner. But in ‘Law School’ each character played a part to the puzzle. With this great fact there was a negative to this telling of each character story; because some of the stories may not necessarily needed to be told.

The way the show moved it made you want to watch the next episode. Because at the end of each episode they left you wondering what happen? What will happen? Cliff hangers galore. This was a good idea; however, it was over used. Because of this type of format, the writers kept adding more and more and more plot twist at the end of each episode. I think it made it confusing at times.

The format was like this: episode one came out; main story professor is killed we will call plot A. Got it. Now we see it may be Yang Jong Hoon who killed professor Seo Byun Joo. But when the episode ends, we find out Han Joon Hwi is….well not going to say it if you have not watched it. But we find out a small snippet of Joon Hwi that wants us wanting to know more and makes him seem as if he could of killed professor Seo Byun Joo. We will call this plot B.

So the next episode starts and we start at the snippet but we go back into the past to figure out more information on the tiny crumb that was left for us in episode one. So half way through the episode we go back to the original story plot A, who killed the professor, then jump back to the crumb from the cliff hanger of episode one plot B. And then the hightlight…at the end of the second episode we are given another crumb about another character who may have killed the professor or something about their life that is more intriguing than the murder which is plot C. Then next episode we start the same process over again. But in the next episode we may not get too much information about plot B or plot A. Then another plot is add, plot D. So by time the show is done, almost each character has their own plot line that connections to the main story but does have it’s own main story line that has NOTHING to do with the main story. Make sense??? WOOOOSHHH…a lot I know.

I figured this format happen due to the writers or network trying to be trending and different when it comes to a K-drama. As we see in newer K-dramas a good handful of Western style drama formats or taste has been added to K-dramas. But I can say K-dramas still add their flare on Western styles. To me some of the twist could of been left out. Mainly the story of Yoo Seung Jae. I think his story was not needed. Yes, I understand a smal bit of what his role played in the main plot, but it could of been told without his WHOLE story to go with it along with the back secrets. It was too much. I even had to go back and rewatch a few episodes to remember who the killer was. That is how much they stuffed in 16 episodes. To much information from so many different stories.

Overall the story was great besides the extra plots. The main stories of most of the law students was done in a wonderful way, you as a viewer was able to learn about each student without feeling a stone was left unturned. Both Kang Sol’s stories were the best ones out of all the students. I think their stories explore deeper meanings when it comes to family, expectations, power, mental health, and money. I like how the drama kept the K-drama main elements when telling their story, but was able to add the twist that you were not expecting at all. Again being bias here, I think that the Kang Sol’s and Han Joon Hwi story could of been the main focus out of all the student stories. Again I am bias on this. I do like how the writers made the interactions with each student one of realism and not over K-drama land fake. The relationships that are built among the students and faculty of the drama was pivotal to the story. It explains why emotions ran hard when a person did not live up to certain expectations. Also, it explains why Vice Dean was having a hard time in his life and how he could of stop his wife from doing the things she did to Kang Sol B. But again in this drama it focuses on appearances. And when people come from certain backgrounds or go into certain professions, appearances are everything.

I give this drama an 8 out of 10 stars. Mainly because of Kim Bum (yes I am bias), Lee Soo Kyung, and Ryo Hye Young. The story was great with the importance of how people with do what they think is necessary to keep up appearances, to keep power, and to remain in the top of the food chain. The show also explores the oldie but goodie theme of those with money and political power will take out the little man to keep their top spot. The drama explores the law very well in this show. It helps out viewers to learn terms and gives very good realistic examples of how the law is applied to cases in Korea. One of the best parts is how Yang Jong Hoon even uses his own court cases and another case where he is an attorney as a teaching moment for his law students. Even in one episode the judge had to warn Yang Jong Hoon that the court room is not his classroom. That was great. That part help the audience understand how the law worked and did not dumb down legal workings in the court room. The ending wasn’t the worst just felt too quickly wrapped up. Like literally we went through 15 episodes of twist, turns, summersaults, to have episode 16 end so neat and simple. I would recommend this drama to those who are Kim Bum fans and those who like a good law/legal drama. However, you may need to make yourself a flow chart to keep up with all the twist and turns. You are warned.

~MJ~

Law School Official Trailer NETFLIX

Han Joon Hwi impresses his classmates and saves Kang Sol A during class

Don’t Call An Uber for Revenge Call Lee Je Hoon of ‘Taxi Driver’.

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 mjsmicktabulouskdramalife2479

‘Taxi Driver’ April 9-May 29, 2021-SBS-16 Ep.

‘Taxi Driver’ is a 2021 action drama from the network SBS. It aired from April 9-May 29, 2021. The final of ‘Taxi Driver’ gained the 4th highest rating of any Fri-Sat drama in SBS history. ‘Taxi Driver’ is based on the webtoon called ‘The Deluxe Taxi’ buy Carlos and Lee Jae Jin.

Plot:

Jang Sung Chul who was a victim of a violent crime (both of his parents were brutally murdered) started a non-for profit organization called Bluebird. Bluebird helps those who lost love ones to violent crimes; through counseling, financial help, and other charitable outreach. One day Sung Chul witness Kim Do Ki react to seeing the person who murdered Do Ki’s mother. Sung Chul decided he wanted to recruited Do Ki for a revenge service. Sung Chul has reached out to Do Ki plenty of times to offer the services of Bluebird, however, Do Ki declines. Sung Chul determined, finds Do Ki and explains how Do Ki can get revenge. Do Ki was still unsure, however, after seeing the Batman like hideout (under Sung Chul’s taxi company) and listening to Sung Chul’s pitch (using the taxi company to help get revenge for those who did not receive justice through the legal system), Do Ki decides to join hands with Sung Chul. Sung Chul added three more team members to his secret operation, all have been using Blue Bird’s victims services. Go Eun is a brilliant computer hacker, Choi Hung Soo and Park Jin Eon are skill mechanics at Rainbow Taxi who make high tech gadgets and car mortifications the team can use. All team members work at the taxi company.

“Don’t You Still Want Revenge” [Taxi Driver Ep. 1] Kocowa TV

The team does doe well with their revenge plan; however, a prosecutor by the name of Kang Hana is getting a whiff of there plans or a feeling something is not going right at Rainbow Taxi. She starts to zero in on Do Ki because certain suspects of cases she is working on are disappearing. And the only lead she has is a premium taxi at the scene. The last player in this lovely plan is the Godmother or the CEO of Paradise Credit’s Group. Her name is Baek Sung Mi. She is helping Sung Chul with his plan; however, she is executing a secret plan of her own.

Can Rainbow Taxi do what the police and courts could not do? Is Rainbow Taxi ready to deal with the legal repercussions from what they do? Will prosecutor Hana catch on to Do Ki and Rainbow Taxi?

Review

I have not read the webtoon; not sure if the drama follows the webtoon fully. The webtoon was published on Naver Comic online. The drama stars Lee Je Hoon who started in ‘Signal’ and ‘Architecture 101’. The drama also stars, Esom as prosecutor ‘Kang Hana’, Kim Eui Sung as ‘Jang Sung Chul’, Pyo Ye Jin as ‘Go Eun’, Jang Hyuk as ‘Choi Kyung Soo’, and Bae Yoo Ram as ‘Park Jin Eon’.

The drama follows Do Ki and his co-workers on a mission to not only help as many people who are grieving or been unsuccessful with getting justice from the law, but take those criminals off the streets. The one part I love about this drama is the unique way Rainbow Taxi finds their clients. They do not use normal advertising; they place their cards in places where people who have lost all hope will see them. The way the clients sign the contracts is mad cool. The client is offered a ride with Do Ki in a taxi and they are asked to explain their situation. Do Ki records the client and heads back to batman like hideout to have the rest of the team listen to the story. The team decides to take the case or not take the case. Once they take the case Do Ki meets back up with the client and gives the client an envelope. In the envelope is a set of instructions on how to sign their contract. If you like old school video games, this part will be for you. Once the contract is sign, the team executes the revenge.

The best part of this drama is the seamless flow of the story. No big holes, no wtf moments; just simple as simple can get. This is a no brainer drama. Not too deep for this one. Action is all around the drama; from the hand to hand combat to the driving scenes. The drama made sure all the viewers understand exactly what the drama is about and introduce all the players within the first two episodes. I love that.

Even though there is action and some cheesy lines, the drama does open up an emotional door that even a grown man will cry. Each character has been deeply hurt and lost someone that they cherished. Not only have they lost someone, they are wondering why? Why did another person decide to inflicted pain on another person in such a way. The drama shows that. They show it very well with Go Eun (Pye Ye Jin). Her grieve is an everyday thing. Reason is, the person who caused her grieve is still out free. She is doing her best to cope with her grieve and Rainbow Taxi is helping her with that. The drama shows her grieve in non-over K-drama land way. It is more real than making the viewers believe that Lee Ji Hoon did not have a stunt double. Simple and small scenes with her gives the viewers the inside feel of how she is feeling. Also the drama does this very well in one scene when a client breaks down and cries…not just cry but ugly cry. It breaks my heart at this moment. In that moment the viewers can understand that what that person went through is tragic. More so, it is something that is happening in real life. With all the bullying scandals in K-pop Idol world, this scene brings to light the real damage that can happen to a person who is the victim of a set of bullies. Maybe that particular scene or story line will open up Koreans to be more mindful and proactive when it comes to school bullying.

Lee Je Hoon…what can I say. He was made for this role. His acting was spot on. The one issue was the stunt man. Lee Je Hoon did state in an interview he wanted to do more of the stunts himself, however, the production crew felt it was better for the stunt man to execute those scenes. This came up when viewers noticed the stunt man during one episode (School roof top fight scene). It was clearly noticeable that Lee Je Hoon was not the one executing the moves. The stunt man had much longer hair than Lee Je Hoon. That was a bumper. Besides that small issue, Lee Je Hoon was able to depicted the grieve of Do Ki along with the badassness of Do Ki. It seemed like he channeled John Wick in a lot of the fight scenes. Do Ki character was guard and cold; did not express his feelings a lot. One of the best parts was when Lee Je Hoon had to play a gangster and it was fawless. One of the best acting scenes to date in a drama. His laugh, the clothes, and even him mimicking some of the famous characters from other gangsters movies was spot on.

The one con that I have about this drama was the last plot line or story or case. It seem to me it was too rushed. I am not sure if its because that is how it played out in the webtoon; however, it needed more episodes. With this part, it added in a little danger for our team to which the team seemed to get out of it without losing too much. I felt that this was also rushed. It need maybe two to three more episodes to really keep us viewers on the edge our our seats. In drama land sometimes no matter how well a drama is there maybe a oops or money could of run out.

Overall this drama is a 9 out of 10. If you want some action, revenge, and some emotional feels, watch ‘Taxi Driver’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n10uskZJkjE

kdrama reviews

“Defendant or Innocent Defendant”

June 17, 2020July 6, 2021 mjsmicktabulouskdramalife2479

Number of Episodes: 18

Network: SBS

Aired Dates: Jan. 23-March 21 2017

Where to watch: Viki or Kocowa (links below)

https://www.viki.com/tv/32810c-defendant?locale=en https://www.kocowa.com/en_us/channel/532403/Defendant

Korean Drama, Legal Drama, Thriller, Crime, & Suspense

Park Jung woo is a prosecutor who is the head of the violent crime investigative division. He has not lost a case and goes after justice. One day after waking up in prison the day after his daughter’s birthday, he learns he was convicted of killing his wife and daughter. Jung woo has no memory of killing his family and keeps having a memory lapse. Jung woo is put on a path to find out what happened to see if he is a killer or who framed him as a killer. Starring Ji Sung.

Cast:

Ji Sung as Park Jung-woo

Park Jung-woo is a prosecutor who is the head of the violent crime investigative division. He has not lost a case yet. One day on his daughter’s birthday, his wife and daughter were killed. He wakes up the next day or thinks it is the next day in prison. He finds out from his cell mates it has been a month and he was convicted of killing his family. However, he does not remember killing them. He is currently on death row and suffering from temporary amnesia. He is determined to figure out what happens to his wife and daughter even if the truth results in him being a murder.

Um Ki-joon as Cha Sun-ho & Cha Min-ho

Min-ho is a twin who is the black sheep; to a certain point, he keeps getting in trouble. During his last bout with the police, Min-ho decides to kill his twin brother, Sun-ho, after getting indicted for assault against a female. Sun-ho tells Min-ho to turn himself in, but Min-ho wanted to live so he kills his brother and takes on his brother’s identity.

Kwon Yu-ri (From Girls Generation) as Seo Eun-hye

Seo Eun-hye is a public defender who is passionate but tends to lose each of her cases. She decides to take on Jung-woo’s appeal case to help him figure out what really happen to his daughter and wife.
Oh Change-seok as Kang Jun-hyuk

Kang Jun-hyuk is Jung-woo’s best friend. However, he betrays Jung-woo in favor of keeping himself aligned with certain powerful people.

Review and Synopsis (Contains Spoilers)
Jung-woo is an excellent prosecutor who puts away people who break the law; especially violent crimes. He has a wife and a young daughter who he loves. He is a doting father and husband even with his demanding job. Overall he is a good man who even takes care of his team. During one of his cases, he meets Min-ho. Min-ho is a person who has deep issues to where he causes problems everywhere he goes. Min-ho is violent and takes what he wants. Jung-woo knows that Min-ho is guilty of assaulting a female who was only interested in Min-ho’s money. Min-ho tries to bribe Jung- woo because he does not want to spend any time in jail. But it does not work.

Due to Min-ho’s constant dealings with the law and violent acts, his father just wants to be done with him; no more saving Min-ho. Sun-ho (Min-ho’s twin brother; the good son) goes to Min-ho to convince Min-ho to turn himself in. Well, Min-ho had other plans. He ends up killing Sun-ho and takes Sun-ho’s identity. But Jung-woo being the clever prosecutor quickly realize Sun-ho is Min-ho. Jung-woo vows to put Min-ho behind bars.

On the day after Jung-woo’s daughter’s birthday, the same day Jung-woo is supposed to hold a press conference about Min-ho he wakes up in prison. He has no memory of what happened. Jung-woo was informed by his cellmates that his wife was killed and he was the one who killed her. Jung-woo asked about his daughter and was told he was supposedly killed her too, but the police have yet to recover his daughter’s body.

Jung-woo doesn’t believe it and vows to figure out what happened even if the truth turns out he was the killer. Now we have the setup; this drama puts everyone who watches it on a roll a coster.

Overall, this drama was done right. It not only provided a suspense vibe, but it also kept true to the Kdrama roots; revenge and the rich kid with issues because he wasn’t loved enough. This drama picked an old recipe for Kdrama flavor; a rich kid with daddy issues; a rich man who believes money can buy him anything; and the main character who vows justice/revenge but uses the law to do so.

This drama is full of the villain being one step ahead of Jung-woo. This particular theme was needed in order for the drama to pull out 18 total episodes. If not, the drama could of concluded in less than 10.
Ji Sung is beyond excellent. He plays crazy well or lost memory wanting justice, unlike other Kdramas that had an amnesia plot. The amnesia plot made sense in this drama. The amnesia idea was more realistic than most dramas in my opinion. Plus, the writers made sure Jung-woo did not regain all his memory at once. He gained it piece by piece till one day all the pieces added up. This gradual gain of memories helped the viewers feel just as frustrated as Jung-woo was. A great way to help the viewers to feel how he was feeling. This was more realistic and gave you that suspends feeling.

The other attribute was how well Ji Sung played his role of grieving widow who felt wronged. We the viewers lived or felt like we were living his pain. To see him frustrated each time he would forget what he remembered was a pain in my heart. I at times had to go back and try to remember what Jung-woo had forgotten in order to keep up with all the pieces. It was like the viewers were his memory keepers. We kept tabs on each piece hoping and waiting for Jung-woo to remember. And Min-ho’s character was EXCELLENT. His character was the typical rich boy from a rich family who could do no right in his father’s eyes no matter how hard he tried. Min-ho wanted to please his father so much that he even sacrificed his goals. Min-ho just wanted to be wanted, love, and appreciated like his brother. He even let his brother, Sun-ho, marry his first love. Towards the end of the drama I was feeling bad for Min-ho and wanted more for him. Min-ho did have two people who truly loved him; however, did not or were not able to show it. Min-ho was the product of his upbringing.

Now here is the downside of this drama; Yuri. Sorry, not sorry. She was just ok. Now I am not 100% sure if it was due to Yuri’s acting or the script or how her character was placed in the drama. But Yuri’s character was just average. Her role seemed to be an important factor when she was introduced, but then it seem like her part became less important. The sad thing is any actress could have played her part. It seems Yuri’s character and the role were not given enough substance to where the viewers became attached. Plus her story was left unsaid in the end. I mean, you get a small glimpse of why she became a lawyer, but then it just stops. She was just a filler. Like a stand in to give extra support to Jung-woo character when everyone he trusted was no longer on his side…well except two. I do agree without Yuri’s character the drama would have had a hole, but that hole could have been filled by another character from Jung-woo support/team.

My final thoughts: This drama gives us a natural flow. There are no holes nor parts that just was a filler episode. Each episode gave us important information about each character and the plot (except for Yuri’s character). The drama had it funny moments and threw in plot twisted that you did not see coming. A few of the twist was predictable but well placed. There were times that it flowed so well you were not sure where the next plot twist will come. The best part was some of the twist was easy to figure out without going back to re-watch certain episodes. Even though there are typical Kdrama cliche plots or themes, this drama stands out and on its own two feet. It took an old drama recipe and added it’s own fusion to keep up with the new trend of suspense-filled dramas that have been flooding the Kdrama world.

I give this drama a 9.5 out of 10. It would of been a 10, but Yuir’s character took away that half point.
Enjoy! ~MJ~

kdrama reviews, Upcoming Kdramas

“Manhole”

June 17, 2020April 28, 2021 mjsmicktabulouskdramalife2479

Categories: Korean Fantasy Romantic Comedy Action

Number of Episodes: 16

Network: KBS2

Aired Date: Aug. 9-Sept. 27 2017

Where can you watch: Viki https://www.viki.com/

Bong pil is a slacker who has been studying to become a civil servant for 3 years (lack of trying) where he failed the test several times. Pil has spent his life mooching off his parents and trying to confess his feelings to his long-time crush (28 yrs), Soo-jin. Due to a small misunderstanding between Pil and Soo-jin in 3rd grade, things have been an awkward set of misunderstandings throughout their friendship. Even though he still remains friends with his crush, his attempts to confess were unsuccessful (due to his lack of being honest and forward) follow by hilarious mishaps and failures. Pil learns his crush is getting married and on the night before Soo jin’s wedding fate jumps in and teleports Pil through a manhole that sends him back in time giving him a chance to stop the wedding and confess his feelings. Staring Kim Jae Joong, UEE, & Baro.

CAST

Kim Jae Joong as Bong Pil. (Kim Jae Joong is a member of JYJ and former member of TVXQ)

Bong Pil. Well, what can you say? He is a genuine slacker who couldn’t confess to his crush. He did try; however, bad luck followed him each time. Instead of just taking the reins, he just let it be until his crush announced her marriage. That is when his determination somehow appeared, but he received the divine intervention or help in terms of a manhole. This manhole was able to send him back in time for him to change events of his crush’s upcoming marriage.

Uee (Former member of girl group Afterschool) as Kang Soo-jin

Uee plays Bong Pil’s crush, Kang Soo-jin. She is a quiet girl who at first didn’t understand Bong Pil due to a misunderstanding in the third grade. But as the years went on, and chance events, they became good friends. Kang Soo-jin did care for Bong Pil but then again for some reason did not confess her feelings. She fell in love with her fiance and is ready to move on or is she?

Baro (a member of B1A4) as Jo Suk-tae

Baro plays Jo Suk-tae a friend of Bong Pil and Soo-jin. He is also studying for the civil service exam. He tries to be a friend to Bong Pil but he normally just stays neutral. He is focusing on his career and aims to be the best he can be even if he is lacking.

Jung Hye-sung as Oh Jin-suk

Jung Hye-sung plays a feisty but blunt friend, Oh Jin-suk. She runs a juice food truck. She is honest with Bong Pil about his lack of effort and can tell how much he cares for Soo-jin. She also is the one person in the group to give insight into each situation among the group of friends. She is the closest to Bong Pil out of all the friends and has always been behind him. But she has a small secret that gets revealed in the most hurtful way.

Review and Synopsis
As stated above, this drama focuses on a young man who has not put effort into his life or anything to that matter. The only small amount of effort was him trying to express how he feels to his crush. But his lack of delivery and nerves causes him to fail each and every time. Now at the age of 28, his crush is getting married. (SPOLIER: His crush is in love with him and secretly wants to be with Pil).

This sends him into a heartbroken state that will become his downfall until outsiders from the sky decide to help Pil. That help is in the form of a manhole. Yep. I said it. But not just an ordinary manhole; a time traveling machine manhole. One night Pil falls through this time machine manhole and travels back to a specific time in his life where he attempted to express his love to Soo-jin. Each time he goes through the manhole it brings him to specific event when Pil was going to confess his feelings. These are specific events that paved the way for Pil and Soo-jin fall in love.

However, after each time he returns back to the present, things have changed but not in favor of Pil or Soo-jin’s feelings for pil. His time traveling affects his current present to where it causes more harm to Pil and Soo-jin’s relationship. Will Bong Pil FINALLY make something of himself and be with the girl he has loved most of his life? The answer will be revealed if you watch “Manhole.”

Here are a few points of this drama to know: SPOILERS are included; read at your on risk

1. Jin-suk has had a crush on Bong Pil since she met him. She evens gets a chance at love with Pil thanks to the magical manhole that alerted events. Prior to that chance, Jin-suk keeps her feelings about Pil to herself. She knows Soo-jin likes Pil even though things have not worked out for them. Jin-suk tries to be a good friend to Soo-jin by helping her with Pil even though it is hard for her to watch.

2. In typical drama land there are side stories. The side stories consist of three specific people: Jung-Ae, Goo-Gil, and Dal-soo. This is like a complicated love triangle so please try to follow if you can:

Jung-ae is head of heels in love with Dal-soo. They are sort of dating but not. They even live together in Dal-soo shop. It seems their relationship is staled more so on (his )Dal-soo’s part. Dal-soo also has a big secret which plays into why he hasn’t moved forward with (her )Jung-ae.

Goo-gil is head of heels in love with Jung-ae. But Jung-ae is so infatuated with Dal-soo she does not even notice it. He (Goo-gil) gives Jung-ae the attention she is not receiving from Dal-soo or that she is begging to receive. The sad part everyone in the group knows how Jung-ae feels about Dal-soo and how Goo-gil feels about Jung-ae.

3. The last side story is Soo-jin’s fiance, Park Jae-hyun played by Jang Mi Kwon ( the villain from “Strong Girl Bong-soon). Park Jae-hyun is not who he appears to be and the only person who knows is Pil. There is a dark side to Jae-hyun that is not only evil but dangerous.

This drama is a funny one that I enjoyed. I think Jae Joong’s acting brought life to the character Bong Pil (I have not seen other works by Jae Joong to know how he is as an actor ). Now, this drama wasn’t the best I have seen when it comes to supernatural, comedy romance dramas. Yes that is a mouth full. But it had its strong points. The main point you receive from this drama is opening up. As people, it is hard to express how you feel. But, if we do not express ourselves, then we cannot complain when things do not go our way or sulk. In Bong Pil case he did not express his emotions to Soo-jin. This caused more problems overtime to which both just kept how they felt bottled up.

The one thing that was great about this drama was how the writers made sure the viewers understood this love was not one side which is not the case in a lot of romantic Korean dramas. Soo-jin was just as bad as Bong Pil. She let misunderstandings stand in her way of expressing how she felt. The writers showed through different events how Soo-jin became jealous at Bong Pil or how she lacked confidence in her self. The only person who knew about how both of them felt was Jin-suk.

In terms of the story, the writers did include that awkward teenage phase people go through when they are starting to like the opposite sex or same-sex, or begin intimate relationships. That was done very well. Now the one part that I did not like, even though this was the main backdrop of the story, the manhole. Yes, that dang manhole.

The manhole time machine wasn’t the worst idea. The bad part was how and why it was put there. The lovely aliens saw the issues between Pil and Soo-jin that they want to help them (The help came from a set of aliens in the sky who somehow wanted to help humans find love. Go figure). Or they wanted to make sure people on earth can find love. So these aliens were matchmakers or cupid. That just dumb down the whole drama in my opinion. The manhole was like their entertainment which wasn’t the best part of the drama.
The story did move along smoothly but at times you can get frustrated. It seems the writers added more situations to just drag out the drama. It seems unnecessary. Then they decided to add an extra flavor to the drama that just sent it way left. The backstory of Soo-jin’s fiance, Park Jae-hyun.

Now, this wasn’t a smart move on the writers’ part. When I say they went far left..they went all the way left. It seems like the drama was moving along to get Pil and Soo-jin together then this story line comes in. This dark side left a bad taste in my mouth. Plus this takes away from the love story of Pil and Soo-jin. I think this part of the drama should have not even been written.
The last issue I had with this drama was the side stories. The Jin-sook story was wrapped up nicely and clean. Even though it was predictable, it was a great way to end her storyline. But the three-way love story between Jung-ae, Dal-soo, and Goo-gil was left a mess. This story line was given a magic fix but it was not a good one. It left us guessing when the drama took the time to get the viewers invested in those characters.

Overall, the drama is not too bad. It is a good drama, but the extra storyline could have been left out. Jae Joong plays his part well and his facial expressions makes the drama worthwhile. The drama gives us adults a way to reminisce about high school crushes and life after high school and college. This drama focuses on young friendships, the decisions people make in their twenties and young love. I give this drama a 7 out of 10. It loses points due to the alien plot and the fiance side story. Enjoy! ~MJ~

CLIPS:

Official Trailer from Viki.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXeQCTkcY-U

BONG PIL FINALLY MEETS SOO-JIN’S FIANCE.

BONG PIL’S SLOPPY BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR SOOJIN

kdrama reviews

“Tunnel”

May 27, 2020July 6, 2021 mjsmicktabulouskdramalife2479

Network: OCN

Aire Date: March 25-May 21 2017

Episodes: 16

Where can you watch it? Netflix or Viki

Cast:

Choi Jin Hyuk as Park Gwang Ho

It is the year 1985 and Park Gwang Ho is a police stations’ criminal sergeant detective who was investigating cases of women who were murdered. The murders take place over a few years and no major leads. Until one night Park Gwang Ho finds a lead and tracks down the suspect. While chasing the suspect through a tunnel (after a struggle with the suspect) he reappears in present-day 2017 after exiting the tunnel. He finds out the case he was working on was never solved; his wife has past away, and his daughter was adopted. Park Gwang Ho is reunited with one of his juniors from the police force to embark on a new but similar case to the murders that happen in 1985. Can he get back home, catch the killer, find his daughter, while keeping his secret?

Yoon Hyun Min as Kim Seon Jae

Kim Seon Jae is working at the same police station as Gwang ho but it is 30 years later. He is currently the station’s elite criminal detective (lieutenant). He became a detective to find his mother’s killer. At first Gwang Ho and Seon Jae clash but eventually, start to work together once they learn of their connection to an event that happens 30 years ago. Seon Jae does learn of who or what Gwang Ho is and starts to build trust to solve the current murders and help close the cold cases from 30 years ago. Seon Jae is amazing at his job and has a 100% arrest record. However, he is distant from his father and stepmother due to his obsession with finding the killer of his mother.

Lee Yoo Young as Shin Jae Yi

Shin Jae Yi is a little bit cold but has reasons behind it. She is currently a criminal psychological counselor (Forensic Psychologist) who works at a University as a professor. Jae Yi is obsessed with the murders that happen 30 years ago as well. She teams up with Gwang Ho and Seon Jae to help them but to also help herself. Her past is tragic; she lost her mother around the age of 5 or 6 and did not know her father. She was adopted and lost her adoptive parents by fire. Jae Yi is a great profiler and forensic psychologist but has poor interpersonal skills. Again, just like Seon Jae, Jae Yi is somehow connected to Gwang Ho.

Jo Hee Bong as Jeon Sung Sik

Jeon Sung Sik was present in the years of 1985 when the first set of murders began. At that time he was a rookie detective who was on Gwang Ho’s team. He was the youngest and Gwang Ho was his senior and training officer. 30 years later, Sung Sik is still at the same police station, assign to the same department but he is the leader of the team. Sung Sik is the first one to recognize Gwang Ho and starts to help Gwang Ho unravel the mystery of his time travel. The funny part about this, their relationship as senior/junior resumes as if nothing has changed. Except Gwang Ho is still a 30 something (he did not age at all) while Sung Sik is in his 50s. The team finds this odd but doesn’t catch on. Well except for Seon Jae. Regardless Sung Sik is determined to help both Gwang Ho and Seon Jae solve the mystery surrounding the murders.

Synopsis and Review: This contains some SPOILERS!

Here we have a crime/suspense drama for you. Before I get into the synopsis/review, the bases of the plot for this drama came from a real-life murder case. The Hwaseong serial murders occurred between 1986-1991(15 killed). Eventually, the police did find the killer, Lee Choo Jae in the fall of 2019. Here are the details of his capture: He arrested and convicted for the killing of his sister-in-law in 1994. So while behind bars (serving 20 years) his DNA was linked to the 4 of the unsolved serial murders. Eventually, Lee Choo Jae confessed to killing a total of 15 people and out of those 10 were linked to the Hwaseong serial murders. While the other 5 the police thought were copy cat crimes. The sad news was Lee Choo Jae would not be prosecuted for the other murders because the statute of limitations had expired.

Ok, now that is out of the way we can get into the drama.

In 1986 a series of killings began to which Gwang Ho and Sung Sik were in charge of along with their team from Criminal Unit 1 in Hwaseong. Gwang Ho was known to be a harsh and very direct person especially when he goes after a criminal. Gwang Ho tends to get himself hurt or puts his life at risk with his passion for the job. Because of this, his wife gave him a whistle and tells him to use it when he is in trouble and she will come to save him.

Over time, 6 women were killed including a young mother who Gwang Ho promised the husband he will do his best to solve the case. He made that promise to the couple’s young toddler son. Gwang Ho decides to but his life on the line one night, when he tracked down a suspect who he not only felt, was the killer but also fit the clues from the case.

During his pursuit, he was knocked out by the killer in a tunnel. He woke up and left the tunnel to return back to his job but unknown to Gwang Ho he was in 2017 and not 1986. Gwang Ho is confused but still carries on as if he is still the Park Gwang Ho police officer. Luck was on Gwang Ho’s side as he was able to team up with one of his past teammates, Sung Sik, from 30 years ago. Sung Sik happens to be the team leader of his old unit at the same station. Also, Gwang Ho happens to arrive at the same time a new teammate is supposed to be starting work a the station. Again with luck, the new teammate has the exact same name as 1986 Gwang Ho. But Seon Jae becomes suspicious of Gwang Ho and Sung Sik. He finds their relationship weird especially Gwang Ho’s behavior. This leads to heated clashes between Gwang Ho and Seon Jae to where the latter is determined to solve the mystery of Gwang Ho.

Gwang Ho still treats Sung Sik as his junior to which confuses the other team members. Gwang Ho tries to go back to his time through the tunnel but no success. Gwang Ho decides to follow the one lead he has that may lead him to the way to get back home. And again as luck would have it, the night he came through the tunnel, he ran into the police officer who was supposed to start work at the station the next day but did not show up. That police officer happens to have the same name as Gwang Ho and Sung Sik decides to give Old Gwang Ho the Young Gwang Ho identification and identity. From that moment on while finding a way back to his time, Gwang Ho’s new team is given a murder case that seems very familiar to Gwang Ho. Gwang Ho and Sung Sik realize the new murders of females were killed in the same way as the 6 females 30 years ago. Now Gwang Ho is determined to solve the 2017 murders as well as the 1986 murders.

Choi Jin Hyuk plays his part very well.

He is perfect as Gwang Ho. His character has a strong set of beliefs to which Jin Hyuk conveys on screen very well. Of course, we can’t have a suspense crime thriller without some Kdrama spice or aka a twist. Spice one: Seon Jae who is played by Yoon Hyun Min is connected to the last murder that happens in 1987. He is determined to solve his mother’s case he neglects his relationships with his dad and stepmom. Seon Jae and Gwang Ho’s but heads; however, they are more alike than different. Seon Jae and Gwang Ho make a great team; however, Gwang Ho is very quick to catch on to leads that can get him and the team closer to the answers they need. Gwang Ho is a gut thinker while Seon Jae is more objective. And this leads Seon Jae to figure out who Gwang Ho is or who he thinks he is.

When Seon Jae is told the truth, thanks to unknown help from Seon Jae’s father, he stands by Gwang Ho’s side to help him solve the mystery of why Gwang Ho is here. Seon Jae knows how it feels to be left with the unknown and doesn’t want Gwang Ho to go through that alone.

Spice two. Jae Yi who is played by Lee Yoo Young is who you think she is once you start to watch the show. The show does hide her identity but doesn’t make it too hard for the viewers to catch on.

Again, in my opinion, a good handful of Kdramas at times is not too difficult to figure things out. The format wants to keep you engaged but not struggling to guess what is going on. That is changing more due to certain dramas that are beginning to mimic the deep intensity Western dramas or T.V. shows have. “Tunnel” is no exception. The writers added Jae Yi to give it that intensity similar to Western dramas. This intensity keeps the viewers engaged in the show and willing to wait for the next episode. Jae Yi character is the specially added spice that keeps people coming back for episode after episode. Jae Yi is strong but strange to where the viewers will have a hard time figuring out what is going on emotions wise. Jae Yi is amazing at her craft but seems to lack human connection outside of her work.

Yoo Young plays Jae Yi with amazement and acts effortlessly. I began to think Yoo Young is Jae Yi. In my opinion, I think she is the top character of the drama and outshines Choi Jin Hyuk at times. Her acting draws you in and leaves you wanting more. There could be a whole drama just based on Jae Yi’s character; that is how powerful Yoo Young acting is and how well the Jae Yi character was written. The way Yoo Young uses body language, expressions, especially her eyes gives you chill but leaves you questioning if Jae Yi has killed before. That how powerful Yoo Young is when it comes to Jae Yi’s character. Because of her acting and writing, I feel this drama can give the viewer a better appreciation for those who work in forensics or in criminal justice.

Overall Impressions: This drama is a 9 out of 10. The fact they were able to make a drama based on a real-life cold case without adding too much extra to the details of the crime is a plus. The relationship between Gwang Ho and Seon Jae acts as a break from the tension of the crimes that took place. If you think about it, the crimes are horrible and no one should die like that by the hands of another person. The humor that is added to this drama keeps the drama from venturing out of the Kdrama world. The humor also helps bring out the personalities of the characters to which viewers grow closer to them. Even though this is a crime drama, romance is still placed even though it is just a small side dish. The romance that is shown is sweet and innocent but just enough to make us become more attached to the characters. This drama brings justice to the Hwaseong murders even at the time the real killer was not found. We never know if this drama (plus the other movies or dramas) that based their plot on the real case did not help the authorities of the real case solve the case. Lucky in the year of 2019 the real case was finally solve.

“On September 18, 2019, police announced that Lee had been identified as a suspect in the serial murders.^[25][26][16] He was identified after DNA from the underwear of one of the victims was matched with his, and subsequent DNA testing linked him to four of the other unsolved serial murders.^[24] At the time, he was identified he was already serving a life sentence at a prison in Busan for the rape and murder of his sister-in-law.^[27] Lee initially denied any involvement in the serial murders,^[28][29] but on 2 October 2019, police announced that Lee had confessed to killing 15 people, including all 10 victims in the serial murders, which includes a case previously considered to be a copycat crime, and 5 others. Three of those other murders happened in Hwaseong but had not previously been attributed to the serial killer, and the other two happened in Cheongju. As of October 2019, details about those 5 victims have not been released because the investigation is ongoing.^[30] In addition to the murders, he also confessed to more than 30 rapes and attempted rapes.^{[31][32][33][34][35]}“ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Choon-jae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3GEIQRRXuU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnSh36BfGSQ

kdrama reviews

“Vagabond”

May 27, 2020July 6, 2021 mjsmicktabulouskdramalife2479

Network: SBS

Number of Episodes: 16

Aired Dates: September 20-November 23 2019

Where to watch? Netflix

Starring: Lee Seung-Gi & Bae Suzy

“Vagabond.” A drama that is full of action and suspense. “Vagabond” reunites Bae Suzy and Lee Seung Gi since 2013 when they starred in “Gu Family Book.” (Expect some SPOILERS)

PLOT:

Lee Seung Gi stars as Cha Dul-Gun a stuntman who takes on the responsibility of his brother’s son. Dul-Gun is full of dreams of being a top action star; however, life has other plans. Even though he has heart and willingness, he is not moving forward in his career. In the end, due to financial issues, Dul-Gun gives up on his dream in order to become a more responsible adult for his nephew, Cha Hoon. Cha Hoon notice there is something going on with his uncle, he distances himself from his uncle.

Cha Hoon has an upcoming taekwondo exhibition with his team in Morocco; the night before his flight, he and Dul-Gun get into a fight. From there, things go from bad to worst. The flight Cha Hoon was on, crashed and killed everyone on the plane. As the families of the killed moron, Dul-Cun feels regret for the last interactions he had with his nephew. During his grieving, he opens up a video Cha Hoon sent to Dul-Cun before the plane went down. Within that video is a piece of information that will begin to expose the truth of what happened to the flight.

The company that owns the plane invites the family of the bereaved to Morocco to give them answers and a chance to say good-bye. NIS agent, Go Hae-Ri (Bae Suzy) is undercover at the Korean embassy in Morocco. She is given the task of helping bereaved families of the flight while they are in Morocco. Dul-Cun is among the families and right at his arrival, he encounters a male who was in the video his nephew sent him (the piece of information). Dul-Cun is taken back because of his knowledge, everyone on the flight supposedly died. Why is this man alive? From there Dul-Cun takes chase and it begins the cat and mouse game.

And of course, Go Hae-Ri is put in the middle since she was in charge of the bereaved. At first, Go Hae-Ri thinks Dul-Cun is crazy with his claims the flight was taken down by terrorists and the guy in his video is still alive. As time goes on, Go Hae-Ri believes Dul-Cun and begins her investigation as an agent into what happened to the flight. With anything, nothing comes easy. Dul-Cun and Go Hae-Ri start to unravel a dark set of secrets to includes NIS and the Blue House. To which no one can be trusted. The closer to the truth, the price to have them silence is high.

REVIEW:

I can say this drama is an edge on your seat! Normally K-dramas is more about the drama and less about the suspense. Now there are still in my opinion, enough melodrama to go around. With that stated, let’s get into the cons

CONS

This drama doesn’t have many cons for it was written and acted very well. The only con to me is the ending. Not going to say the ending, but it is a curse at your T.V. screen type ending. In my mind. It does get frustrating when it is clear of who is behind the whole tragedy but they keep getting away with everything. I guess that is part of the thrill of the cat and mouse game.

PROS

This drama is banging! Beyond wonderful. The chemistry between Suzy and Seung Gi brings life to the characters. The show doesn’t wait at all to get to the plot of the story. One of the best parts of this drama is the little bits of humor they add to it. The story is intense and sad, but the humor breaks up the intense thick air. The action scenes are mind-blowing! Seung Gi is a PERFECT action star. The second episode jumps right into the action and does not disappoint. Plus, the show films on location in Morocco and not a set. The best and worst scene was when Dul-Cun is grieving for his nephew. The tears Seung Gi sheds makes you just want to give him the biggest hug. You felt his pain. It made me cry. Because not only did the character lost his only family, the guilt he felt. And when you learn of why his nephew died, it just makes the pain more but can make you wish hurt on those who caused the loss.

Category: kdrama reviews

Drama of the Month October 2021: “Law School”-Drama Review

“Law School”-April 14-June 9, 2021 jTBC-16 Ep.

Plot:

Staring:

STUDENTS:

Law School Faculty

REVIEW

Don’t Call An Uber for Revenge Call Lee Je Hoon of ‘Taxi Driver’.

‘Taxi Driver’ April 9-May 29, 2021-SBS-16 Ep.

Review

“Defendant or Innocent Defendant”

“Manhole”

“Tunnel”

“Vagabond”