Taxi Driver S1 (2021)

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Drama: Taxi Driver (모범택시)
Network: SBS
Episodes: 16
Release Date: April 9 – May 29, 2021
Runtime: Friday & Saturday 22:00-23:10
Country: South Korea

Plot:
Rainbow Taxi Company is a regular taxi by day, revenge team at night. They take cases of victims and punish the bad guys on their behalf.

Main Cast
Lee Je Hoon – Kim Dogi
Esom – Kang Hanna
Kim Eui Sung – Jang Sung Chul
Pyo Ye Jin – Ahn Go Eun
Jang Hyuk Jin – Choi Kyung Koo
Bae Yoo Ram – Park Jin Eon
Cha Ji Yeon – Baek Sung Mi

Review
Yay i love the Rainbow Taxi Squad!! Their teamwork, their disguises and cases were so cool. Esp love the invincible Kim Dogi.

My favorite cases were the voice phishing with Madame and the high school bully with Choi Hyun Wook and Lee Min Jae. All the other cases were almost connected with the main storyline of the female villain. I also loved and cried at Go Eun’s sister’s story.

Kang Hana could have been smarter and faster when investigating. Most of the time she needed clues from the Rainbow Taxi. Maybe if she worked earlier with them plus the detective team, they could have caught more suspects! And  maybe Minho didn’t have to die. His death was the most shocking part of the drama and I was also crying when I watched Hana cry for him.

Hana just had a debate with Dogi that she doesn’t understand how the victims feel until she experienced it first-hand. And even went to Dogi for help.

The Udata episode and the twins went a bit too long, this could have been done in 14 episodes or less. They even added a last minute twist in the last 2 eps about Kim Dogi’s mom’s real killer.

More than the cases, the story was about justice through the system or justice at the hands of a few people. Sometimes courts take too long and the law doesnt appropriately punish the perpretrators. Who will defend the victim and family? But i also liked what one of the bad guys said to Dogi, why is your revenge justified but mine isnt?

Im ready for season 2!! Hoping for Dogi x Goeun romance please!!

Rating: 8.75/10

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Brain Works (2023)

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Drama: Brain Cooperation (두뇌공조)
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 16
Release Date: January 2 – February 28, 2023
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday 21:50
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot: A neuroscientist works as a consultant to the Neuroscience Investigation Team to solve crimes.

Main Cast
Cha Tae Hyun – Shin Haru
Jung Yonghwa – Geum Myung Se
Kwak Sun Young – Seul Sojung
Ye Ji Won – Kim Moran
Jeong Dong Hwan – Hwang Dong Woo

Review
Comedy + crime solving is always up my alley. The cases were related to the brain so very interesting esp when Shin Haru describes how the brain normally works and there are little cute characters showing to demonstrate his explanation.

I thought CTH again as a detective? But he was slightly different here than Police U. Here he is still upstanding but more softhearted. His nice guy was a big contrast to YH’s serious Haru. I wished the last episode showed Haru to smile more and join the team dinner and be more friendly, but it would break his character’s psychopathic personality. But at least he was able to make a friend despite his condition.

I also like Captain Seul, esp when she became the wild girl vs her usual timid self. I wish she stayed like that but she went back to her normal self when she recovered. Im not used to CTH having a romantic story but he and Captain was so cute together. Esp when he tried to say her name instead of Captain Seul.

I think the ex wife’s story was necessary. I didnt get why she had to be there other than to serve as a plot point against the love story between Detective Geum and Captain Seul.

The main villain at first i thought was going to be creepy but i was a little underwhelmed by how sinister he was. I just saw him in the last episode as a pathetic old man bored in prison. Haru shouldnt have wasted his time on him. Although his games were interesting enough.

The ending was neatly wrapped with almost everyone getting their happy ever after. But that zombie hunting case would have been fun even for 1 extra episode!!

Rating: 8.5/10

Weak Hero Class 1 (2022)

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Drama: Weak Hero Class 1 (약한영웅 Class 1)
Network: Wavve
Episodes: 8
Release Date: November 18, 2022
Runtime: 45 mins
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot: 3 guys fight for their lives against class bullies.

Main Cast:
Park Ji Hoon – Yeon Si Eun
Choi Hyun Wook – An Soo Ho
Hong Kyung – Oh Bum Seok

Review:
I was interested to watch this because of Choi Hyun Wook but I didn’t like the topic, which is about school bullying. However, since i read so many good reviews about this drama, I decided it to watch it also!

Wow! This drama is so brutal! Why does Korea have so many bullies in school? Is it just exaggerated in kdramas or is this norm in every school? I think in my country, there are some bullies of course, but generally not a lot. I asked my nephews and nieces as well as my friends’ children, they do not have bullies in their school (thank God!)

I think what’s striking in all the bullying cases (kdrama or in real life) is that these children had a sad childhood. Whether they were directly unloved, neglected, abused, or indirectly affected by family events like death, divorce, etc, it really impacts the children’s lives and their outlook. So I think parents should really be careful in raising their children. Not just raising, but actually decided if they want to have a children or not. Like in Si Eun’s case, both parents are working and had no time to care for their one and only child. Or Bum Seok who didn’t want to be adopted, but ended abused by his adoptive father. Or how about Young Bin, whose mother always let him get away with his misdeeds through money. And interestingly, it is Soo Ho, who didn’t have parents, but was lovingly brought up by his grandma, who had more integrity than the rest. So I guess, LOVE makes a whole lot of difference.

Si Eun was a loner but ended up having a really good friend in Soo Ho. He was willing to fight and die for his friends. Soo Ho, who always knows his boundaries, but always get into fights trying to save his friends from jealous people. Ugh! I didn’t know if I should hate Bum Seok or feel bad for him. Logic would think that he would be nicer since he knows what it’s like to be bullied, but usually anger and hatred makes you do things you don’t want to do.

This drama also showed how adults fail these children all the time. The parents who starts the neglect and abuse. The teachers who do not do anything, even turn a blind eye to the bullying. The bad men who put these children to labor or to crime. The police / government officials who also not able to arrest these bad guys.

I didn’t read the book. And I know there are no plans of having a season 2. (They didn’t expect that this drama will be a hit!). So i wished that they just ended this differently. Like Soo Ho, getting better rather than be in a coma. Si Eun in a new school with a new bully to contend with. I guess the new bully didn’t know Si Eun almost killed people in his old school. He should be worried.

Overall, amazing drama. Not for the weak.

Rating: 9/10

Alchemy of Souls Part 2 (2023)

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Drama: Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (환혼: 빛과 그림자)
Network: tvN
Episodes: 10
Release Date: December 10, 2022 – January 8, 2023
Runtime: Sat. & Sun. 21:10

Plot:
Three years after Mudeok dies, Jang Uk has been on a mission to kill all soul shifters as ordered by the King. Lady Jin has been hiding the fact that she retrieved Mudeok’s body, and revived her daughter, Jin Bu Yeon’s soul, but taking on the face of Naksu. Jin Bu Yeon, who doesn’t remember anything about her past, is arranged to be married to Seo Yul’s uncle, but she got away and met Jang Uk. Will they be able to find their way back to each other and can they fight the evil forces of Jinmu once and for all?

Main Cast

Review
I liked the chemistry between Jaewook and Youn Jung more than with Jung Somin. Maybe that’s why I liked part 2 more than part 1 (although I admit without the love story in part 1, part 2 wouldn’t work that well). Mudeok and Jang Uk to me felt like Master-Student while Buyeon-Jang Uk felt like the real thing.

I missed the original Naksu shadow assassin (GYJ looked soooo different as Jin Bu Yeon – the hair, light eyebrows etc) so sometimes I had to stop and think if this was really the same actress or not. Cho Yeong’s evolution from the young girl, the teenager that Seo Yul met, to Mudeok, Jin Buyeon and back to Yeong was amazing. I’m still a little bit confused how this all happened, though it somehow made sense, but I love that she will spend the rest of her life as Cho Yeong. She may never take up the sword again, but with her powers, she and Jang Uk can fight together for good.

I also love how much Jang Uk has grown since part 1 episode 1, esp now that he is the most powerful mage in Daeho. You dont need to be the king to be the most powerful, as long as you do your job and your passion well. I hated that Go Won was always threatened by Jang Uk when he never made any intention known that he wanted to be king.

I didn’t however, like that there were a lot of flashbacks that could have been skipped. I also didnt like that Go Won had many scenes that were unnecessary and the turtle squad, trying make their scenes funny like in part 1. Good thing the turtle actually had a purpose in the story.

Park Jin and Kim Dojoo are too funny!! I miss Danggu’s blonde hair and he didnt get a lot of cute scenes with Choyeon. Of course Master Lee is always all knowing.

I also never liked Seo Yul and Soi’s “relationship” from the very start. Soi has caused so much pain to Seo Yul and almost died because of her. and Soi dying trying to save him doesn’t justify her actions or make her a better person. Even she didn’t give him the blood parasite, none of this would have happened in the first place. Plus Seo Yul is so nice and virtuous, how can the writers pair him up with Soi, plus his one sided love with Naksu! how cruel! I was hoping he gets his own love interest at the end, but i guess, his heart is with the mages. I also was so annoyed with Yun Ok. Why is she even in this drama? She was catty for no reason, and put her nose in every place she didn’t have to be.

It’s always hard to write a great ending for fantasy dramas so was very happy that this show ended with quite well!!

Overall part 1 and part 2 could have actually fit in 20 episodes if they removed some of the draggy parts at the start, but also ok that they separated part 2 to give time for people to get used to the new actress/character and the 3 yrs later part of the story.

Rating: 8.5/10