you are very unusual thank you

Someone pls talk me out of rewatching Jumong. It’s madness!

But then Jumong is THE sageuk. 81 episodes, insane ratings (it ended its run with 52% ratings which even in those older days was psychotic), the best gradual character development - when we first meet our ML he’s a total pathetic waste of space and then to watch him slowly transform is glorious, and man they really spent as much time on iron works and salt trade as they did battles.

Also Seosono was such an awesome FL and the rest of the cast was A+. It starts slow and then picks up so much steam!

When I say they don’t make them like this any more, I mean it!

I have nothing against youth sageuks per se but the fact that their ascent got rid of those long adult epics is a crime.

Divorce Attorney Shin and One Dollar Lawyer sit on the same table with their badass women who look after and support their outside sunny and crazy but inside truly pathetic wet sat cat boyfriend

Divorce Attorney Shin, Episode. 1 (2023) dir. Lee Jae Hoon

I have never seen Han Hye Jin in anything, but she has such presence in 'Divorce Attorney Shin'.

Divorce Attorney Shin - thoughts

an easy-to-watch, pleasant series that focuses on family standards and the good of children. however for me personally, in the end, it falls a bit flat.

★ 3/5

thoughts in detail:

i really liked the beginning. it had tension, high stakes, and conflict - things were happening. but just as quickly as they began, they ended. and only then the real plot unravelled. which confused me and I wasn't too sure about the series anymore, its goal and what it is aiming for... i kept thinking about the first conflict and how good it was. it also didn't help that they kept referring to it, turning what seemed to be the secondary character into the main character.

the series also tried to introduce different cases, which focused on family relations and the issues. which was a nice touch and a good, solid focal point. but at the same time, it kept on going about the first case, and the main case, which, for me, was introduced too late. and so it seemed like they tried to fit too many eggs in one basket. doing too much yet not enough for each case. personally, I wanted to know more about the secondary characters. wanted to see their story. instead of an introduction, build-up and then a simple "Oh we solved it!" I felt, if this was the way they wanted to plan the series, they should've tried it more like in Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Or kept the other cases altogether in the background, so we can focus on the main plot of the series.

in relation to the romance, i felt it was not exactly existent. they tried to have it in with the secondary characters but there was no chemistry and it felt awkward, odd and unnecessary at times. i will not lie though I loved, loved, loved the main character with the character from the first case, which later joined the team. They had a nice chemistry. They understood each other, supported one another and were both kind-hearted. But then again, it actually made sense they didn't develop a romantic relationship, because of the female character's backstory.

On the other hand, the bromance was absolutely perfect! The three main characters were brilliant. So well matched together with their personalities and so I felt a bit of a shame the series didn't focus more on them and their relationship. How they came to be, why their bond was so strong, and what kept them together like this. In fact, I would've been happy if the drama wouldn't have any romantic relationships at all, but focused more on the family bond - whether a real family or a chosen one.

But in relation to the characters, especially the main ones, I didn't actually feel any development or growth - except for the female character. In fact, I feel she was more of a main character than any other one. her story, the challenges she faced, and the emotional growth and change by the end. it was all very evident there. what made me a little bit sad, is that there was definitely potential for other characters to grow too. but it appears it was simply missed.

I think I could talk much more about it! But overall, I felt there were a lot of things that could be better. However, it is not the worst. it's still a nice watch, especially since it is 12 episodes. And Cho Seungwoo is brilliant in it. If you are looking for something easy enough, that is also funny and touching, give it a watch for sure!

DIVORCE ATTORNEY SHIN

GENRES: Legal Procedural, Comedy, Drama

SUMMARY: A middle aged divorce lawyer mixes professionalism, pubescent partying, and revenge.

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Deadbeat realtors, shoes without socks, soju fridges, child custodies, framed grapes, drunken piano busking, bitter divorces, adorable nephews, legal spies, drunken live streaming, mid-life romances, macarons, prophetic turtles, and wine/ramen combo meals.

HOT TAKE: This show has some really well-crafted tonal whiplash--slapstick one minute, then deep dramatic, emotional guilt, another. I'll admit I was a bit worried since there were still a lot of plot lines hanging by episode 11, but don't worry about unsatisfying wrap-ups here: the finale is satisfying for everyone.

Sacred Divorce to air on March 2023 with 12 episodes.

Genre: Melodrama/Humanism

Final Review: Divorce Attorney Shin

Sorry, I actually forgot I have yet to give the review for this drama. But as the commenters have mentioned, this drama is a gem. I love everyone in it, other than the neurotic Yeong-ju, whose behaviour and motivation are unfathomable. I get it that she is upset and insanely jealous having fallen from riches to rags — and possibly losing her then-boyfriend, Jeong-guk, to a “competitor”. But hey,…

View On WordPress

Loved it!!

Couldn't stop myself from the binge watch.

The friendship is endearing, heartwarming and refreshing. They use curses like punctuations in every sentence they speak with each other but carry so much love for each other.

There's no forced romantic couple. The Attorney Shin is on his own journey to overcome the guilt of not being able to save his sister. He has no time and mind to fall in love while he still has to ensure his young nephew is free from his stepmother.

DJ Lee Seo Jin has her set of struggles to deal with, to find her lost confidence back and her ruined relationship with her kid.

The other two friends are beyond adorable though. Hilarious too. Their scenes of spending time with each other, mindlessly dancing and drinking just to stand by each other would make you feel so full.

And yes, every divorce case was unique and stated that you find your happiness and peace if the person or situations are not right. Marriage is not the end of the world. Best thing is they do away with unnecessary long and dull court scenes. Only a few essential arguments you see in the boring court setups. Interesting take on legal drama storytelling. I personally find the court scenes so heavy. They are long, way too formal, unnecessarily agitated, and loaded with legal jargons.

The younger characters were so much fun too. Felt a bit sad for Attorney Choi, they were so mean to him, for no good reason. He really needed a hug and pat on his back. Too cute to be ignored.

divorce attorney shin - new trailer

Solo Leveling characters singing "All I Want for Christmas is You"

Merry Christmas!

I'm not doing something this big again for a while-

Probably spent more time organizing the characters than making the video itself

Go Gunhee's watching the whole thing with his wife

My Favourite Kdrama actresses (and what I've seen them in):

Park Bo-young

(Oh My Ghost, Strong Woman Bong-soon, Doom at Your Service, Daily Dose of Sunshine)

Park Eun-bin

(The King's Affection, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Castaway Diva)

Han Hyo-joo

(W: Two Worlds, Happiness, Moving)

Kim Hye-yoon

(Extraordinary You, Lovely Runner)

Park So-jin

(Sh**ting Stars, Alchemy of Souls)

Honourable Mentions (because I've only seen them in one thing):

Park Ju-hyun from The Forbidden Marriage & Seo Yea-ji from It's Okay to Not Be Okay

Upcoming Kdrama April 2024 💚

5/4: Parasyte: the Grey with Jeon So Nee, Koo Kyo Hwan. 6 episodes; mystery, horror, sci-fi.

8/4: Lovely Runner with Byun Woo Suk, Kim Hye Yoon. 12 episodes; fantasy, rom-com.

10/4: Blood Free with Han Hyo Joo, Joo Ji Hoon, Lee Hee Joon. 10 episodes; thriller, sci-fi.

13/4: Missing Crown Prince with Soo Ho, Hong Yeji, Kim Min Gyu. 20 episodes; historical, rom-com.

19/4: Chief Detective 1958 with Lee Je Hoon, Lee Dong Hwi, Seo Eun Soo. 10 episodes; action, thriller, comedy.

26/4: Goodbye Earth with Ahn Eun Jin, Yoo Ah In, Jeon Sung Woo. 12 episodes; thriller, sci-fi.

Lee Je Hoon is back!

the impossible heir episodes 1-4 ramblings

Last week was an eventful one for Lee Jae Wook, Hong Su Zu, and Lee Jun-young's The Impossible Heir. Not only was last week the premiere of the series, but Dispatch, the popular Korean tabloid, released "earth-shattering" news that Lee Jae Wook was dating aespa's Karina. This garnered controversy and scrutiny towards the show and could have contributed to its ratings. However, as a self-professed Lee Jae Wook fan, I tuned in to watch the show last week regardless of the news. The Impossible Heir is arguable Lee Jae Wook's first "adult" show. Much of his prior work involved dramas that catered to the YA audience and for the first time we see him essaying a far more mature and morally dubious character as Han Tae Oh. While the show is marketed as having three leads, in my opinion, Tae Oh steals the show.

In the first episode, we are introduced to a teenage Han Tae Oh. The son of a murderer, for the sake of his and his mother's safety, he's forced by himself to a small town. Unlike his peers, he has no legal guardian and rents a rundown house in the village. Before the first day of school, he manages to provoke the ire of Kang In Ha, the illegitimate son of the Kang-Oh chaebol family. While the two boys are initially at odds with each other and even end up having a dramatic fight in the school lunchroom, the episode ends with an unlikely partnership- Tae Oh offering to use his intelligence to help In Ha achieve the impossible- the opportunity to be the next heir of Kang Oh Group over his two legitimate half brothers.

Over the next three episodes, we see Tae Oh and In Ha grow up as college students and later employees at Kang Oh. During their college years, we see a blossoming friendship between the two as In Ha becomes Tae Oh's only companion during their time at Hankuk University. Alongside their internal scheming to take over Kang Oh, we see glimpses that their friendship is no different from any other peers. They have birthday meals, eat lunch together in the cafeteria, and drink late night beers from the convenience. In Ha constantly chides Tae Oh for working too many part time jobs, but remains the dutiful wealthy friend that is willing to book a tutoring gig for Tae Oh or drop him off at work to help him financially stay afloat. The dynamics between both men take a sharp turn with the introduction of Na Hye-Won, who both male leads end up falling for though she ultimately ends up dating In Ha, mainly because she views In Ha as her key to overcoming poverty and acquiring wealth and prestige.

Just as episode two ends, the show takes another five year time leap and both men are working for Kang Oh group. Hye-Won also becomes what appears to be a staff member for a political party. The three remain as co-conspirators in their efforts to take over Kang Oh Group. Of the three, perhaps the person who gets closest to the chairman, Kang Jun Mo, is Tae Oh, who ascends to the role of his personal secretary. Tae Oh becomes Jun Mo's greatest asset and trusted confidante. Through his role, he starts to move the game pieces that would create a clear path of succession for In Ha.

The weakest aspect of the The Impossible Heir 's writing has to be Na Hye Won's character arc. Nothing about her frankly makes any sense. During the second episode, we are introduced to Hye Won as both In Ha's and Tae Oh's classmate and Tae Oh's neighbor. While its obvious that Tae Oh may have developed feelings for Hye Won due to their chance encounters, In Ha's feelings arise out of nowhere- to the point that it almost feels like he only wants Hye Won because he wants to take a person Tae Oh cherishes from him. However, if this was the case, the intensity of love that In Ha develops for Hye Won makes no sense. Furthermore, its puzzling to see the two boys so readily accept a stranger as a partner in developing and implementing a plan they have spent years working on together. Exacerbating this poor placement of the female lead is her poor portrayal by Hong Su Zu. Hong Su Zu's acting has been widely criticized by the Korean audience since the airing of the second episode. While I could see others' complaints last week, it did not initially bother me as much. However, the poor acting has become glaringly apparent in this week's episodes. If Hye Won is supposed to be who she's written to be- a morally grey character who is willing to do whatever it takes, including playing with someone's feelings, to escape her present circumstances, I would expect her to be desperate, shrewd, cunning, manipulative, and charismatic. However, the version that is presented to us is so blasé, stoic, and mediocre. Hong Su Zu's expressions and delivery are extremely limited- it's hard to swallow the thought that she's supposed to be a crucial main character.

Conversely, Tae-Oh's arc is the strongest point in the writing. As audience members, we are gripped by the elusive question- what does Tae-Oh get from this partnership? Why is he fiercely loyal to In Ha? and Does he truly want the best for his friend or is he planning on throwing him under the bus? Lee Jae Wook excels in playing the ambitious yet guarded Tae Oh, who becomes the "catalyst" of the story. Without Tae Oh, there's no plot. While Hye Won is a disappointing female lead, I was surprised by the chemistry between Tae-Oh and Choi Hee Jin's Kang Huiju, the younger half sister of Kang In Ha. Huiju develops an obsessive never-ending one-sided crush on Tae Oh when he becomes her short-lived mathematics tutor. At first glance, it's easy to brush her off as a minor character, but the amount of screen time she receives on the show suggests otherwise and Choi Hee Jin excels in playing the "petulant spoiled brat who surprisingly may be the only person in her family with a conscience".

If Tae Oh is a volcano patiently waiting to erupt at the right time,Huiju is a raging forest fire traveling at 100 mph. Her love and desire for Tae Oh is all consuming and destructive- something she wholeheartedly embraces but Tae-Oh fears. When Huiju's spontaneity comes to a head with Tae Oh's restraint, we see an electrifying chemistry between the two and we see another dimension of Tae Oh. While he can be avoidant and harsh, he is also gentle, kind, and protective. Its this internal push and pull that makes their relationship worth exploring.

One of the highlights of the latest episode was when Huiji confronts Tae Oh in a parking garage adamantly professing that she will force her parents to agree to their marriage and that she "will protect" Tae-Oh. I found her confession interesting on many levels because so far, all of Tae-Oh's relationships are exploitative. The other characters including his closest friend In Ha are only concerned about what Tae Oh can do for them and this is the first time we see someone offering to do something for him with no reciprocity. It's unclear if Hui Ju is a red herring or someone who will grow to be an integral part of Tae-Oh's life. As a viewer, I have to say that this relationship is one of the main draws to the show and is something that the writers utilize appropriately.

Overall, Impossible Heir is a Malthusian and Machiavellian drama that wholeheartedly embraces the capitalistic jungle. It may not be a show that fans of prior Lee Jae Wook's dramas will love, but it still deserves to be given a chance.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️.75/5