Juror 8 (2019)

Profile:
Movie: Juror 8 (배심원들)
Release Date: May 15, 2019
Runtime: 114 min.
Distributor: CGV Arthouse
Country: South Korea

Cast
Moon Sori – Kim Jun Kyeom
Park Hyung Sik – Kwon Nam Woo
Baek Soo Jang – Yoon Geu Rim
Jo Soo Hyang – Oh Soo Jung
Jo Han Chul – Choi Young Jae
Cha Mi Kyung – Yang Choon Ok
Yoon Kyung Ho – Jo Jin Sik
Seo Jung Yeon – Byun Sang Mi
Kim Hong Fa – Jang Ki Baek
Seo Hyun Woo – Kang Doo Sik

Review
This movie is based on the first jury trial in South Korea.

The main character is juror no. 8 played by Park Hyung Sik. At first he looked dumb because every time someone asked him for his opinion, he always didnt know what to answer. And yet he turned out to be the smartest one in the room. He was the only one who actually listened to the testimonies and analyzed the evidences. There were a few jurors who made up their minds even without understanding the evidences. They just want to get out of their jury duty. But thanks to juror 8, they all decided to investigate the case. The main judge also ended up considering the jury’s inputs.

The movie had an odd pace though. Sometimes it was serious, sometimes it was light then as usual with most Korean movies, the third act becomes cheesy anf emotional.

Rating: 8/10

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Vivid Romance (2017)

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Drama: Romance Full of Life (생동성 연애)
Network: MBC
Episodes: 3
Release Date: February 16 – March 2, 2017
Runtime: Thursday 23:00

Plot:
In-Sung has been studying for the police officer exam for years but he keeps failing. In spite of that, he still maintains his sunny and optimistic personality. On the day that he failed the exam again, his girlfriend Sora dumped him with no explanation. Feeling sad and lost, he decided to join a high paying part time medical experiment and ends up becoming a super genius. He decided to change his style and became more confident. Suddenly all the girls are noticing him but all he wants is Sora. Will he be able to get back together with her and pass the exam?

Main Cast:
Yoon Si Yoon – So In Sung
Jo Soo Hyang – Wang Sora
Kang Ki-Young – Jo Ji Sub
Kim Min-Soo – Gong Moo
Jang Hee-Ryung – Kim Tae-Yi

Review:
I wasnt ready to let go of Yoon Si Yoon so i ended up watching his old drama and what a change from the serious Dowon in Train to the adorable nerdy Insung!

First, their names were too funny!! So Insung, Jo Ji Sub, Wang Sora, Kim Tae Yi, Gong Moo and Song Ae Gyo 🤣🤣

I liked the story of working hard for your dreams, that there is no short cuts to success. But at the same time, you should strike a balance between work and life and health.

I wasnt sure what Insung liked about Sora because she seemed like the kind of girl that was always sad about life. Episode 5 had a lot of flashbacks about their relationship and i wished they showed that in episode 1 so that we root for them. Most of the time i want Insung to get over Sora and find someone better than her.

I think their relationship failed because they (mostly Sora) both weren’t confident about themselves and they neglected each other instead of supporting each other. When the going gets tough, it’s good to have friends and family around to lessen the stress rather than push them away.

In the end, I honestly didnt understand why Insung had to go back to his nerdy self just because the experiment is done. It’s just a matter of fixing his hair and wearing better clothes. or maybe he is more comfortable as the adorable geek and Sora loved him the way he was.

Only 3 episodes so worth to watch if only for Yoon Si Yoon!!

Rating: 8/10

The Tale of Nokdu (2019)

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Drama: The Tale of Nokdu (조선로코 녹두전)
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 32
Release Date: September 30 – November 25, 2019
Runtime: Mon & Tue 22:00

Plot
Nokdu disguises as a woman and hides in a widow’s village, trying to find who and why they are trying to kill his family. Inside the village, he meets a Dong Ju, who is a gisaeng-in-training, but hides a secret of her own.

Main Cast
Jang Dong Yoon – Jeon Nokdu
Kim So Hyun – Dong Dong Ju
Kang Tae Oh – Cha Yul Moo
Jung Jun Ho – King Gwanghae

Review:
I heard so many good things about this show and maybe that’s why i had high expectations, but i didnt like it as much as i thought i would.

The first half was funny but then it got boring because there was not a lot of action happening and the leads just keep talking in every scene. I fast forwarded some scenes 🤫 unfortunately. I also didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between the two actors. I also didn’t find Nokdu handsome or manly, maybe because he was supposed to act like a lady so they found an actor who has a smaller frame and looked more feminine. He looked tiny in those scenes where he is standing across from Yulmoo, who looked so handsome and imposing with his sturdy built. Unfortunately, Yul Moo is a crazy psycho prince so I’m all for Nokdu!

I liked the sword fight scenes especially when the Muwol Corps are fighting. I also loved the supporting characters like the Queen, Yunjo and Heo who tried their best to persuade the King to not kill the child, and the old master who was always by Nokdu’s side (i was scared that he will die in the last scene). I didn’t like the little girl, though, i thought she was annoying and not cute.

The second half of the story was a little better, starting from when Yulmo revealed his identity and the plans for revolt starting happening. I was more interested in the political part rather than the widow village and romantic scenes.

The King was awful and Prince Neungyang too but we know he will end up with the throne. So half of the time I’m asking, why waste 16 episodes just to find out the bad guy wins? What was this show supposed to tell the viewers? Then I realized the title is called The Tale of Nokdu so it’s not about the throne but about Nokdu’s growth. and I loved the happy-ever-after! 🥰 They are just so happy to live in their tiny island away from all the political strife. And the Queen gets to live with the couple too!! I didn’t even care what happens to the King or the Prince! They can take the throne and fight one another or die!

Rating: 7.5/10