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Reviews
The Good Bad Mother (2023)
If you're unsure after a couple episodes, don't stop. It gets much better.
That pretty much sums it up. I almost turned it off several times during the first couple of episodes. They were pretty depressing and I didn't care for the way things were going. It seemed very dark and, honestly, a little disturbing for a K-drama.
But with all K-dramas, you need at least a couple of episodes to decide if you like it.
By the third episode, everything starts coming together and you find yourself sucked right into the story. This has all the plot devices that make Korean shows so addictive. It's an emotional roller coaster.
You have the underdog battling a corrupt presidential candidate and a crooked business owner. You get several stories of people that overcome tragedy. You get major character developments, including the love stories and family relationships. Secrets are slowly revealed in a way that keeps you hooked. The show progresses at a decent pace, and it answers many questions earlier than a lot of other K-dramas.
You're going to see a lot of familiar faces from some of your favourite shows. The acting is incredible and the production work is top notch. You're also going to fall in love with the twins and maybe even want to adopt a pet pig. And yes, those kids steal the show.
Sure it has some flaws here and there, but don't they all? There were no major plot holes that stood out. I'm sure someone out there will tear this apart, but I was highly satisfied with it. Perhaps the whole injury/amnesia part of the story may become too unrealistic as the show progresses, but this is a K-drama, and they're good at allowing you to suspend disbelief.
Only problem is I hit episode 10 and realized that the whole series isn't out yet. Last time I got to enjoy/suffer waiting a week for new episodes was with Alchemy of Souls - you'll see a familiar face from AoS in here as well.
How the story plays out, I'm not sure. The last episode might be a masterpiece, or it may be the biggest flop of all time. Either way, I'm excited to finish the series. This is by far right up there with some of my favourites.
I highly recommend giving the first few episodes a shot. Good chance you'll become hooked before you realize it.
Syurup (2022)
Not your typical K-drama. Wow!
I normally don't review, but there are only 3 reviews on here at the time of writing. Hopefully my review helps a few people find this gem.
First off, the storyline on IMDB doesn't do this justice. I was expecting some boring drama about a queen raising her sons to be men. It was far from that.
I get excited any time I see something produced by Studio Dragon. Alchemy of Souls, Start-up and Crash Landing on You are examples. Everything is high quality - stunning visuals, amazing soundtracks, well thought-out scripts and excellent acting.
This isn't your typical K-drama. As of episode 8, there are no love triangles, squares, pentagrams, etc. There are only hints of future romance, and only briefly.
Now, for the 1st episode I was bored out of my mind. Took me 3 days to finish it - and just barely. But what I've learned from K-dramas is you need at least 2 or 3 episodes to decide if you like it. The first is usually introductions to both character and plot. And that was exactly what this was.
2nd episode - This is getting better. The queen is even starting to grow on me. First signs are showing that I may end up liking this one after all.
3rd episode - Ok, I'm hooked. I ended up finishing the next 5 available episodes in 2 days.
What you get is a vicious power struggle within the royal family of Joseon (early Korea). The queen is the main character and will do whatever it takes to protect her family. She can turn from a loving mother to a mama-bear in a heartbeat. Kim Hye-su was well-cast for this role. She is both queenly and motherly at the same time.
The queen dowager (Kim Hae-sook, queen's mother-in-law/king's mother) is a ruthless woman willing to do anything to take down the queen and her sons. The Minister of War (Kim Eui-sung) is also gunning to eliminate the royal family - sometimes together with the queen dowager, sometimes separately. Throw in a dozen of the king's concubines trying to elevate the status of their illegitimate sons and you have a complex weave of backstabbing and manipulation.
There is a fair amount of action in this series, though don't expect non-stop sword fights. I originally thought I'd be watching a boring political drama even as I started the second episode, but the suspense is what keeps you glued to the screen. Assassinations, corruption, kids sneaking out of the palace to get a taste of the city. Even verbal debates become interesting. And nobody is safe - young or old.
I didn't find it slow at all. Even the relationships between the grand princes and their half-brothers keep you interested. There are friends and enemies as if these half-brothers were nothing more than classmates. Comedy is minimal (no slapstick) and usually contained to a couple of the younger princes.
I'd call this historical fiction, but it is so much more. Don't come into this expecting Jane Eyre. It's nothing like Hollywood-made historical fiction - it's much more intense.
Now I need to find something else to watch until the next episodes of both The Queen's Umbrella and Alchemy of Souls come out. /sigh.
Kingdom (2019)
South Korean zombie horror at its finest.
I'm a huge zombie fan, so I needed to watch this series. Until now, the only Korean zombie flick I'd seen was Train to Busan. If you haven't seen that one yet, I strongly suggest watching it since it's one of the best zombie flicks I've seen. I'm amazed at the level of cinematography coming out of South Korea these days. On par with Hollywood.
Kingdom is set in the Joseon kingdom (early Korea) in what I imagine is around the year 1600, judging by the crude long guns and talk of Japanese invasions. This period relied strongly on a caste system, in which noblemen had absolute power over the lower ranks, and those at the bottom were thought of as nothing more than dogs. If you're unfamiliar with Kdrama, you might find some scenes strange when people defer to their seniors without hesitation because of this, but you quickly adjust as you realize this was how life was. I also admit that it can be hard to tell some characters apart when the noblemen are all dressed the same and have the same beards. Most of the time, this doesn't matter.
In short and with no spoilers, the crown prince finds himself in a power struggle with the pregnant queen consort and her power-hungry father, who want to take over control of Joseon after the child's birth. The prince suspects something strange is happening at the palace when the queen denies him entry to see the king. When the prince travels to another city for answers, he finds himself in the midst of a zombie pandemic. The prince must find a way to save his people while fighting to regain his place as heir to the throne.
Having just finished the 2nd season, I think this show is great. Being set in the medieval wilderness and bamboo huts of Joseon is unique in itself and adds to the tension. There is lots of blood and gore while not going overboard. There are shocking moments that you've never seen in other zombie films, some that have you laughing and others biting your nails. And nobody is safe - rich or poor, young or old.
The story line is decent, though it can seem a little jumbled at times. The characters do a great job and I don't feel like I'm watching actors reading a script. It's also nice to see Doona Bae from Sense8 in a native role.
I prefer subtitles, though I watched a little bit of the dubbing and found the voice actors seemed adequate. The dubbed version also lined up fairly well with the people speaking, at least from what I saw.
If you're into zombie or horror films, give this a chance. I'm highly anticipating season 3 and hope for more seasons after that.