Good Job (2022)

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Drama: Good Job (굿잡)
Network: ENA, Olleh TV, Seezn
Episodes: 12
Release Date: August 24 – September 29, 2022
Runtime: Wed. & Thu. 21:00
Country: South Korea

Plot: A young CEO of the Eun Kang Group sidelines as a detective to investigate who killed his mother years ago. He runs a small detective agency with his best friend lawyer Jinmo. He meets Don Sera during one of his cases and the two decide to work together to solve Sunwoo’s mother’s death.

Main Cast
Jung Il Woo – Eun Sunwoo
Kwon Yuri – Don Sera
Eum Mun Suk – Yang Jinmo
Song Sang Eun – Sa Nahee
Yoon Sun Woo – Kang Tae Joon
Lee Joon Hyuk – Director Hong
Hong Woo Jin – Kim Jae Ha

Review
This was so light and fun and easy to watch! The plot is simple but I like their silly disguises and solving cases. This drama reminds me a lot like Bruce Wayne (Sunwoo) and his secret batcave and alterego as Batman (Sunwoo as a detective), with his sidekick Robin (Jinmo), Batgirl (Sera — ok Batgirl is not Batman’s love interest but you get what I mean) and Alfred (Director Hong).

The show was mostly carried by the great chemistry between the main leads Sera and Sunwoo and the second leads Jinmo and Nahee. They were funny, sweet, romantic. Esp Sera and Sunwoo — whew!! I wish they get together in real life! (Time to watch Bossam!). I also loved the bromance between Sunwoo and his best friend Jin Mo — they know each other so well that they also have a Plan B.

I also liked all the OST songs. Too bad they didn’t release an album.

On the other hand, the villain is predictable (well, at least to me), I felt like he tried too hard to be like Joo Dan Tae (if you watch Penthouse lol) and I still really don’t really get his motive (it sounds shallow — boohoo daddy didn’t love him).

The other “bad guy” was just too angry from episode 1 without really saying why he is that way to Sunwoo. I don’t know if it’s the actor or the way the character was written. But I like that in the end, he got a little redemption — he was able to get out of his father’s shadow and accepted the consequences of his actions (and hopefully mature a bit).

Detective Han was largely useless as a character except for the last episode. Which was too bad coz he would have been a great part of the team, had he actually had better detective instincts. And as a detective, he should know better than stop Sera from knowing the truth behind what happened when she was younger. She deserved to know to be able to take care of herself.

Rating: 8.5/10 (8 for the story + 0.5 for the leads)

From Now On, Showtime (2022)

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Drama: From Now On Showtime! (지금부터 쇼타임!)
Network: MBC
Episodes: 16
Release Date: April 23 – June 12, 2022
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday 20:40
Country: South Korea

Plot: A magician and policewoman reluctantly work together to solve crimes.

Main Cast
Park Hae Jin – Cha Cha Woong
Jin Ki Joo – Go Seul Hae
Jung Junho – Choi Geom
Lee Dong Ha – Hae Chun Moo
Jung Suk Yong – Nam Sang Goon
Ko Kyu Pil – Ma Dong Chul
Park Seo Yeon – Kang Areum

Review:
This drama had everything I love in a Kdrama – romcom, comedy, ghosts, murder, creepy killer, new found family, magic, and they managed to squeeze in a little sageuk in the story too. Whew! Too many things happening but I loved the seamless transition of each scene. The sageuk went for 2.5 episodes if i remember correctly, it was like watching a drama within a drama. 2.5 episodes were too long though, they could have kept the past life story at 2 episodes max and more time for the last episode.

Great ensemble cast, from the grumpy ML, charming FL, funny ghost gang and fanboy spirit. I loved their interactions and team work. Esp when they were showing how they did their magic tricks. The drama also showed the background story of the 3 ghosts and I was crying when they finally had to leave and enter Nirvana. I was also surprised at Choi Geom’s story – didn’t expect it all and Cha Woong was just right to get angry at his betrayal and secrecy!

I also loved the romance between Cha Woong and Seulhae, I guess sharing the past, they just knew they were meant to be together. I actually sometimes like their past selves more than their current selves because their love was just so tragic. and Princess Chunhwa was so pretty, no wonder Hae Chunmoo felt in love and couldn’t let go even after 2,000 years!

The episodic cases were light while the initial villain (Ahn Chang Hwan) was so creepy and scary. I mostly ignored Hee Soo, i think he wasn’t a good SML as he could have been. He was just there but didn’t really do much.

Yeji was mostly irritating for being too money hungry but she made up for it by helping Cha Woong in the end. Wished her character was given more chance to shine as a great shaman in the making rather than showing her being petty. I thought the boyfriend deserved a nicer girl than Yeji but Yeji also turned out to be super nice when she dropped her money hungry act.

The final episode wasn’t as much fun as I was hoping it to be since it felt rushed. The evil spirit was so annoying at this point with his obsession for Chunhwa when she was never his. And him jumping from one body to another was too much. But I got it — it made sense he jumped to Heesoo (SML turned bad), to Heesoo’s dad (he finally got the what he deserved for lying all these years), then to Seulhae (to test Cha Woong).

Rating: 8.75/10 (9 minus 0.25 for the bad guy)

One The Woman (2021)

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Drama: One the Woman (원 더 우먼)
Network: SBS
Episodes: 16
Release Date: September 17 – November 6, 2021
Runtime: Friday & Saturday 22:00-23:10
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot
A prosecutor gets into an accident, wakes up with amnesia and gets mistaken for the daughter in law of a corrupt company chairman.

Main Cast
Lee Honey – Kang Mina / Cho Yeon Ju
Lee Sang Yoon – Han Seung Wook
Jin Seo Yeon – Han Sung Hye
Lee Won Geun – An Yu Joon

Review
Honey’s super pretty and funny as Cho Yeon Ju! The first few episodes when she had amnesia and battling her in laws were hilarious!! My favorite has got to be the english and vietnam speaking scenes. I love that she holds nothing back, she just speaks her mind, and doesn’t care for the in laws. And I love all her droolworthy corporate suits!

Lee Sang Yun’s gentle demeanor was perfect for Honey’s crazy antics. I just wish that he lightened up more so that he looked more natural on screen. But still, I love this pair – another dimple couple! And I was thrilled that after everything that has happened, they ended up together!

I also loved Yujun, he was loyal to Yeonju despite being rejected/having unrequited love. And it’s nice seeing Kim Chang Wan playing a nicer character. Kim Won Hae’s character was bad but I still couldnt hate him!

The in-laws were awful and sorry but Yeon Ju’s revenge on her mother in law (about his son’s death was cruel but fair after all the terrible things she did to Kang Mina). Too bad, the daughter and the other daughter in law weren’t very useful of the story. The father/chairman always plays the bad guy but I knew that he wasn’t the killer.

Sung Hye was too dumb a villain. I felt like she always whined for not getting the family business and her dad not trusting her. I’d say it’s because she has not done anything right to deserve it. She made a massive mistake that caused all the probems years ago, and she still hasn’t learned her lesson and continued being stupid. I wish the ending gave the brother the chance to take over the business and finally step up, because he was the only interesting character in the family.

There were a few episodes that were boring and took too long to reveal the villain but I loved the ending.

The main ost was as addicting as romantic sunday.. 🎵gitaro otobai taja taja🎶

Rating: 8.5/10

Accidental Detective 2: In Action (2018)

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Movie: The Accidental Detective 2: In Action (탐정: 리턴즈)
Release Date: June 13, 2018
Runtime: 116 min.
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

Main Cast
Kwon Sang Woo – Kang Dae Man
Sung Dong Il – No Tae Soo
Lee Kwang Soo – Grasshopper

Review
I was looking for some silly fluff after a long week of hard work so I decided to watch this movie. This movie continues from the first movie where the two leads decide to open their own private investigation agency. However, the first few weeks they didn’t have any clients until a pregnant lady visits them and tells them that her husband is missing.

No this movie isn’t silly, the overall mood is light, and with the addition of Lee Kwang Soo, makes this movie funny. But the investigation and the case itself is heavy.

I love how Daeman is smart and catches the little clues, combined with Taesoo’s experience as detective. And in the end, they were able to catch the bad guys.

Can we have a third movie please?

My review of the first movie: The Accidental Detective (2015)

Rating: 8/10