To continue where I left off last post… 5. Cross-cutting Cross-cutting is an editing technique. The director combines two or more different scenes of the characters going about their separate lives, with the purpose of showing their separate lives colliding at a fateful encounter. In this kdrama, the director combined three scenes for cross-cutting: the […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – Eps 15 and 16
Notes: 1. “My name is…Sungwoo. Yoo SungWoo.” In kdramas, whenever the lead character gets a new hairstyle, it’s to show that he encountered a personal crisis and his outlook and direction in life went through a 180 degree reversal. In the Catholic tradition, the equivalent of this new hairstyle trope is acquiring a new name. […]
My True Friend: Episodes 2 & 3
It’s just the second episode but I’m already falling in love (mind you, only in a nonsexual, platonic, idealized sort of way) with this guy, Shao Peng Cheng. He’s not Xiao Nai who will forever be the Golden Standard for drama boyfriends in this blog. But he has a charm entirely of his own: his […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – Eps 13 & 14 Highlights
Now that I tackled the angel and death in another post, I can review these episodes in peace. 1. Kangwoo’s mission We knew from the start that Angel Dan’s last mission is love, but we still don’t have a clear idea what Kangwoo’s last mission is all about. His objective is purportedly to get YeonSeo […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – On Angels and Old Ladies
With every episode, it gets harder for me to defend the Christian underpinnings of this drama. At first glance, the story looks innocuous but it diverges so much from Catholic orthodoxy that I wouldn’t be surprised if the writer intended it to mock, even attack my faith. And that’s why I’m pushing back harder and […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – @GrowingBeautifully’s Perspective on Rain
I’m posting your comments here, @growingbeautifully, so they’ll be easier to access later on. I agree with all that’s been said. I remember when Dan mocked YeonSeo for becoming a grouch at sunset? He said, “You’ve got a beef with sunsets, don’t you? You have an especially big hissy fit whenever the sun sets. What is […]
Your Highness, Class Monitor: Episodes 1 to 6
I’m sure that I don’t have time to watch this with my regular “magnifying glass.” But since @agdr03 and I need an outlet to chat about this, I’ll create a weekly open post for YHCM. I’m posting the highlights/lowlights here so YOU all don’t have to watch this. The highlights from Ep 1: One, the […]
Pride and Prejudice: @nrllee’s Favorite Scenes
I mentioned in another post that dialogues don’t necessarily have to contain words. Sometimes eyes can do the talking; sometimes the hands. Body language can be used like verbal language to communicate and express inner thoughts and feelings. I mentioned “Pride and Prejudice.” My good friend @nrllee recommended a couple more scenes from P&P and […]
Bitch Talk: On Chemistry and Cinematography
I often read gushing comments from fans about cinematography of a kdrama and chemistry of an onscreen couple. When I don’t see an explanation to back up these claims, I mentally deduct 50 points from the drama for attracting airheads. The presence of airheads warns me that the director has relied on the visuals because […]
My True Friend: Episode 1 First Impressions
Presenting my next Chinese drama “My True Friend” starring Deng Xiaoping, Angelababy, and Zhu Yi Long. This was an easy choice for me because the whole first episode made sense to me. Whether the series can sustain my interest for – I don’t know – 30? 60? 200? lol episodes is another story entirely. But […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – Episodes 11 and 12
This is long so pace yourself. I’ll have to edit later because I was rambling last night. 1. Resurrecting the Dead Girl As it turns out, reincarnation isn’t necessary to resurrect the Dead Girl. KangWoo found an easier way to fill that big void his lover left. He found a stand-in, a proxy in YeonSeo. […]
Put Your Head on My Shoulder: Ep 23 Highlights
One more episode to go!!! I’ll start on another Cdrama soon. Still looking for around. Thanks for the recs, @agdr03 and @table122000. 1. Situ Mo visits GWY old lab. I say it’s about time she drops by. This “old lab” is the excuse GWY used for staying at their apartment with her. That being said, […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – On Giselle
I got the connection now of Episode 11 to the First Act of “Giselle.” I’ll try to sum up “Giselle” quickly and give my interpretation of the characters. Giselle was a peasant girl who loved to dance and loved a duke named Albrecht. Physically, she had a weak heart so she was prohibited from dancing. […]
Angel’s Last Mission: Love – Episodes 9&10
This episode has lots of dialogues which I consider to be building blocks. Meaning, we must take note of them now, because they’ll be relevant to the story later on. 1. No to the reincarnation theory This is one of my pet peeves with many kdrama writers. They take ideas from Catholic theology without understanding […]