RevaReview
London / India
When the Camellia Blooms
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An ode to motherhood; with brilliant acting !
It is genre bending because the main premise of the story is how a police officer, protects his love interest, Dongbaek, from a serial killer. But really, the story is about Dongbaek (or Camellia in Korean).Dongbaek is a beautifully written character who is beaten down by life and ostracised as an unmarried mother, but can be fiercely protective. And Kong Hyo-jin wears this ultra-complex character like a glove, with demureness even while she's threatening. There are episodes dedicated to motherhood, particularly one about three single mothers that tugs at your heart. (In fact, there's only one father character in the show and he's shown in poor light.)
Set in a small town, the tight-knit community is inherently heart-warming with a solid supporting cast: Lee Jung-eun (of Parasite fame), Oh Jung-se and Kim Sun-young to name a few.
Among all the stellar performances, Kang Ha-neul shines through. While most Kdramas feature successful and suave male leads, Kang Ha-neul plays an average small-town guy, awkward and simple, and very straightforward, who cries just as easily as he laughs.
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Plunge into the start-up industry
This kdrama explains the inner workings of the start-up industry and all the terms you need to know to sound smart. For example, I did not know what was "acqui-hiring".We learn that behind any successful start-up is a desperately resourceful CEO, a genius techie and a great mentor at an incubation center. The love triangle between these three adds complexity to the drama. While Bae Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk are so cute together, Kim Seon-ho stirs second-lead-syndrome.
The story of their start-up itself is quiet interesting and the personal motivations are real-worldly for young twenty-somethings. The insights the writer, Park Hye-ryun brings is typical of her writing style and I was educated on the lives of rookie journalists in Pinocchio (starring Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye), and felt I got an inside view into the workings of the prosecution department in While You Were Sleeping (also starring Bae Suzy, and Lee Jong-suk) and I Can Hear Your Voice (starring Lee Bo-young and Lee Jong-suk), even though legal dramas are done to death in the Kdrama world.
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Romantiek is een bonusboek
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Book lovers show
Lovely, happy, bubbly show about the struggles of a woman trying to get back to work after a career break. It's also beautifully poetic.All the characters are good people at heart, doing the best they can in their lives. They are respectful and supportive that you can't really fault them. Life is hard. But from Lee Na-young's character we know we can be Walking on Sunshine with just a little bit of hope.
Lee Jong-suk is charming as ever as the male lead but male lead is actually a supporting character and he supports her without reservations, even when she marries/dates someone else, never imposing or possessive. The second male lead is also similarly respectful. Such healthy relationships are rarely portrayed in media.
Regardless of the title and my emphasis on the male characters, romance is only a component of the story. Much of it is around how judgemental and daunting it can be when your skills are considered obsolete in a fast-moving world.
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Love the ordinariness of this un-Kdrama-like show
The ordinariness of the female lead and plotline is beautiful: woman in her mid-30s, who is stuck in life with her career going nowhere; and her relationship collapsing, finds companionship and support from the male lead. Of course, the male lead also happens to be her best friend's younger brother, complicating it. And possibly, western audiences do not understand this complication too much.Writer Kim Eun and director Ahn Pan-seok strive to bring a realistic, unmushy feel to the relationship and its growth. But what brings it together is the natural chemistry between the leads, Jung Hae-in and Son Ye-jin. The writer-director's second project, One Spring Night (8.3, 7.9, 2019), tries for a similar feel but fails without Son Ye-jin.
The show also has a nuanced take on sexual harassment at the workplace. It is not as loved as other shows because it's not your regular kdrama, making it the lowest rated show that I recommend, but that's what I love about it. Having said that, it does drag a bit in the middle and could have been shorter.
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An epic saga in turbulent Joseon
Set in the troubled times of early 1900s, Joseon empire (Korea) is in decline with a number of foreign powers trying to gain control. It's a lesson in history. And if you know the history, you know how it ends. All five protagonists have their own reasons but they all are originally from Joseon and share a love-hate relationship with their motherland. All of them also carry the burden of their parents: either trying to live up to them, or living beyond their sacrifice or trying to get to terms with their cruelty.From the writer-director pairing of the Guardian and DOTS (star writer, Kim Eun-sook and Lee Eung-bok), the brilliance of the show is in its poetic writing. The first English words Go Ae-shin learns are 'gun, glory and sad endings' which defines her as well as Joseon; her character is possibly a metaphor for Joseon. The cinematography turns each scene into a painting, supported by beautiful sets and soulful music.
Acting is of course, wonderful, although, the brilliant Lee Byung-hun looks a tad too old for his role. He looks solemn in the serious scenes but a bit out of place when he acts silly. Kim Tae-ri is absolutely fantastic, drawing romance into her expression with barely a breathe.
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A sci-fi crime drama from the past
From the writer of Kingdom, Kim Eun-hee, it starts slowly but pulls you in with tight writing, weaving small cases together into a larger picture. The story spans across timelines, changing the past and the present with ease and coherence. Very rarely do you see timetravel shows which have a coherent storyline. Christopher Nolan should watch this show, how to build a story from the middle to the start and the end without confusing the viewer.The crimes are compassionately portrayed, making it a chilling watch. Especially so because three of the four big cases the trio solve are based on true crimes, aaand the fictional fourth one was the least gruesome.
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A crime thriller done right
Lee Joon-gi acts his heart out as a psychotic man on the run who doubles as a loving family man. Moon Chae-won plays his wife, a detective in charge of catching his original identity. The first episode will get you hooked and there's twist after twist in this cinematographic experience. But the writing is cohesive without seeming forced and keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very start.The natural chemistry between the leads has a lived-in feel to it, believably portraying a couple together for 14 years with none of the usual Kdrama mushiness. The OST has only 3 songs but has elements of intrigue as well as the tenderness of a loving family.
There is one twist that I thought was too coincidental, which I think we can forgive. This is the writer, Yoo Jung-hee's first long form Kdrama and I'm looking forward to her delivering more amazing stories!
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Part Mafia-thriller, part slapstick comedy, with an outlandish plot
It starts off hero-worshipping Song Joong-ki but gets better with every episode. People seem to agree with me on that, and the ratings improved with each release. Jeon Yeo-been plays his formidable partner in crime, sharing great chemistry in spite of very little romance.Both of them are really good actors and Episode 16 is epic when Song Joong-ki puts his soul into it. But 2PM's Ok Taecyeon takes the crown for best actor in this show! The Geumga Plaza crew are a sweet bunch and bring the comedy that is much needed in this dark comedy when people drop like flies.
It's part Mafia-thriller, part slapstick comedy, with a high body count and an outlandish plot. It's dramatic of course, but a bit too dramatic ? That is why I give the story a low score.
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