Third Charm: Quick Takes on Episode 1

Every new drama is a costly investment for me: an intellectual and emotional investment as well as a time investment. To optimize my investment, I determine my next drama project by forecasting what “wisdom” I can expect to assimilate from the scriptwriter’s perspective on life. That was why I skipped the shows like “Heirs,” “Strong […]

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100 Days My Prince: Romance and Cinematography

Sometimes an OP gushes about the cinematography of a kdrama when all she really means is that the landscape is beautiful. I think it’s a misconception that does a disservice to a cinematographer’s craft. He doesn’t only film bamboo groves, rapeseed fields, and distant horizons for beauty. He also chooses colors, lighting, texture, and a […]

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100 Days My Prince: Episode 6 Review

Another solid (relatively) episode. Phew! I was thisclose to dropping this sageuk last week because of the half-assed writing and execution of HongShim’s confusion over WonDeuk’s identity. But I’m glad I explained it to my 8 blog followers and readers. Noteworthy things: 1. The reunion of MooYeon and YiSeo/HongShim. I’m glad the writer didn’t prolong the […]

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100 Days My Prince: *Not* Swoon-Worthy Moment

Sigh. Okay, oppa-fangirls! This definitely does NOT qualify as sexy. credit: zztmms’ tumblr Do you not remember what WonDeuk was doing with his hands a few moments ago? This. Touching dirt And this. Holding dirt. And last, but certainly the worst. Cleaning shoes. Gross! If I were HongShim, I would have slapped that filthy hand […]

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100 Days My Prince: Can HongShim Write?

Of course, she can. She wrote this, didn’t she? But I don’t blame the viewers if they’re confused. I blame the “Dumb-and-Dumber” duo (aka the writer and director) of this kdrama. Then, why did she make WonDeuk write the books while she simply read them to him? 1. Because she wanted WonDeuk to earn his […]

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The Ghost Detective: Gil Chae Won

Is it okay to like this character, the pathologist and ex-shaman Gil Chae Won? It was funny when she was lying on the autopsy table with her white jacket covering her. She looked like a corpse with a white sheet on top so I squeaked (eek!) when she suddenly sat up. It was also ridiculous […]

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Devilish Joy: Episode 6

Watching this episode made me realize how much these Korean romcoms could influence what we expect and value in our personal relationships when we’re not careful to draw the line between fantasy and reality. Take this Episode 6 for example. The main takeaway here for me is that grand romantic gestures demonstrate true love. From […]

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The Ghost Detective: Five Years Ago…

Five years ago, Da-Il’s mother died. In her hallucination, Da-Il was angry with her for being a burden to him. “Mom. Since I was young, you’ve been a burden. Without you, I could’ve done a lot of things. If I was an orphan, it would’ve been easy to take care of myself. I wouldn’t have […]

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The Ghost Detective: Episodes 5 and 6

In the words of Alice in Wonderland, this story is getting “curiouser and curiouser.” There are several things I would like to point out in these two episodes. 1. Her sister ex-BF, Gyeol. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was already dead, and he committed suicide, too. He was having a hard time, he said, […]

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100 Days My Prince: Episode 5 Review

Finally! A solid episode! Now that I’ve figured out HongShim’s puzzling confusion over WonDeuk’s identity, I can begin to follow the show with less irritation and more enthusiasm. For starters, I liked HongShim in this episode. I welcomed her transformation from a noisy termagant, always scolding and shaming WonDeuk, into a more forbearing and restrained […]

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100 Days My Prince: Ep 5’s Swoon-Worthy Moment

This is why the feminazis will always lose to Jane Austenites. “Don’t you dare take another step without my permission.” My reaction: Really, he could have turned me into a pillar of stone. I absolutely wasn’t going anywhere without his say-so. I bet we all didn’t mind this wrist grab. We were goggling at WonDeuk […]

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The Ghost Detective: Is Da-Il in a Coma?

No.  As the plot stands right now, there is no indication that Lee Da-Il is in a coma. Some viewers, especially fangirls rooting for a Da-Il-YeoWool OTP, insist that Da-Il’s body is in a coma and being kept alive on life support just like the Woman in Red. They ignore the possibility that the unidentified […]

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