acjoe-83655

IMDb member since October 2022
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    1 year, 7 months

Reviews

Akgwi
(2023)

Don't be put off by the "Horror" tag.
Revenant is a supernatural mystery thriller, so don't be put off by the "horror" tag if you're too scared to watch it. There is a lot of suspense but no gore, so true horror fans might be disappointed. Revenant has a unique and interesting plot featuring Korean folklore, so you'll be kept thinking and guessing throughout the series. It also raises important themes of society's pressures and how they affect youth.

Revenant showcases the masterclass acting of Kim Taeri, who absolutely gets better with each work, and she fully deserves all the accolades she gets. She has the uncanny knack of transforming herself with each role and you don't see a trace of past characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed Revenant and highly recommend it. It joins Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Mr Sunshine has my all-time favourite dramas.

Miseuteo Shunshain
(2018)

Not just Guns, Glory and Sad Endings.
Guns, Glory and Sad Endings - check, check, check - but it's not all doom and gloom and there are many laugh out loud moments. I've watched it several times and it made me laugh and cry each time.

Mr Sunshine had a big budget and it shows. It's visually stunning and features a star studded cast, an interesting story, beautiful costumes and a great soundtrack with different musical styles.

Many K-dramas feature a love triangle and Mr Sunshine goes further with a love five-pointed star set in late-19th and early-20th century Joseon (Korea). At the centre is Lady Go Ae Shin, a beautiful and elegant aristocrat and secret freedom fighter. She is the love interest of three men: Eugene Choi, an American Marine Corps captain, Gu Dong Mae, the local leader of a Japanese yakuza-style gang and Kim Hui Seong, an aimless playboy and Go Ae Shin's fiancé. Added to the mix is Mina Kudo, the owner of the Glory Hotel, who is intrigued by Eugene Choi and has a bond with Gu Dong Mae.

The main characters are all memorable and supportive of each other, even when they are rivals. Go Ae Shin and Mina Kudo are strong and independent women and aren't helpless decorations waiting for the men to rescue them. The men develop a reluctant and fun bromance and only want the best for Go Ae Shin.

There's a huge cast and if you find so many characters confusing to start with, you can google a relationship chart to help with who's who. My favourite stand-out actors are Kim Tae Ri (Go Ae Shin) and Yoo Yeon Seok (Gu Dong Mae). The character of Go Ae Shin is chalk and cheese with Na Hee Do, the teen fencer in Twenty Five Twenty One, and Kim Tae Ri does a magnificent job with both of them. Badass swordsman Gu Dong Mae is a big change from the doctors Yoo Yeon Seok often plays (eg Hospital Playlist, Dr Romantic). The supporting actors are also wonderful, particularly Lee Jung Eun, who plays Go Ae Shin's devoted servant/nanny and provides a lot of comic relief.

Mr Sunshine is an epic story and don't be put off by the historical setting, the title or its length. The long number of episodes allows the unique characters to be fully developed and they will linger long in your memory. Mr Sunshine is one of my all-time favourite dramas and I wholeheartedly recommend watching it.

Seumuldaseot Seumulhana
(2022)

Twenty Five Twenty One is my joint all-time favourite drama.
Twenty Five Twenty One is my joint all-time favourite drama with Mr Sunshine. Both have great stories, memorable characters and made me laugh and cry, even after repeated viewings. For older people, it'll bring back memories of life in the 90s and for younger people it'll show how life used to be for their parents.

Both dramas feature Kim Tae Ri, who is an amazing award-winning actress and transforms herself with each work. She brings to life Na Hee Do, a stroppy teenager with a heart of gold and aspirations of being a rival to her fencing idol.

Twenty Five Twenty One is a coming of age show about following your dreams and friendship. It's not a rom-com and if you don't think of it as such, then you won't be disappointed with the ending.

I'm puzzled that so many people have marked the show down for the ending. Yes, it's heart-breaking but if you don't wilfully miss all the signs along the way, then you'll understand the decisions made. I suppose so many people were hugely invested in the characters and that's why they couldn't accept what happened.

For me, the only misstep was casting a different actress as the older Na Hee Do, because her vibe was way too different. Kim Tae Ri does look very young, but making her look 42 years old surely wouldn't have been that hard. Despite this, I still give Twenty Five Twenty One full marks and whole-heartedly recommend this show.

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