Our Blues (2022)

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Drama: Our Blues (우리들의 블루스)
Network: tvN
Episodes: 20
Release Date: April 9 – June 12, 2022
Runtime: Sat. & Sun. 21:10
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot:
This drama tells stories about the different people living in the village.

Main Cast
Lee Byung Hun – Lee Dong Seok
Shin Min Ah – Min Seon Ah
Han Ji Min – Lee Yeong Ok
Kim Woo Bin – Park Jeong Jun
Ko Du Shim – Hyeon Chun Hui
Kim Hye Ja – Kang Ok Dong
Lee Jung Eun – Jung Eun Hui
Park Ji Hwan – Jung In Gwon
Choi Young Jun – Bang Hosik
Roh Yoon Seo – Bang Yeong Ju
Bae Hyun Sung – Jung Hyeon
Cha Seung Won – Choi Hansu
Uhm Jung Hwa – Ko Miran

Review:
It took me a while to finish this drama because every episode hurts. I would stop after a few episodes then pick it up again and binge watch then stop.

All the stories were different and touching. Everyone had their own issues and they were a big community who supported each other like family. Each story kept getting better and better as we know more about the residents. And the writer and director made them all flow naturally.

I can’t decide which one was my favorite story. Okdong and Dong Seok made me cry the most. Even when I wanted to side with Dong Seok, seeing Okdong at her most vulnerable and wanting to spend time with her son before she dies is so touching.

Chunhui made me pray hard and wish that her son survives the accident. The little girl who played Eun Gi is such an amazing young actress. That scene where they showed Eun Gi the many moons made me cry so much.

Seonah’s story and her struggle with depression made me sad. I really felt her love for his son and she really was trying her best to get better so she can live with her son again. i love that Dong Seok didn’t stop supporting her even when she was at her worst. She really needed a friend to get her through her depression. and I love that the husband wasn’t really bad, he was just concerned for their son, and in the end he let her see and play with her son and even verbally agreed that he will give Yeol to her once she is better.

Yeonok/Yeonhui made me want to hug them. I can understand how difficult it must have been for Yeongok to be responsible for her sister all through the years and having failed relationships because of Yeonghui. I love that Jeong Jun didn’t leave her when he found out the truth and even was very sweet to Yeonghui. The scene when Yeongok saw all of Yeonghui’s paintings of her made me want to console her.

Eunhui/Miran and Hosik/Ingwon made me feel grateful to have great friends. Particularly Eunhui and Miran’s friendship, when Miran slapped Eunhui for being two-faced, but I think Eunhui also deserves a bigger apology than just saying that Miran was being immature to hurt Eunhui. As for Hosik and Ingwon, i think Ingwon really tried to help him but Hosik was a gambler. They hurt each other for years but in the end, they were bound together by their friendship and their children.

Hyeon/Yeongju made me feel hope for their future, that they will be good parents. I still would have scolded them for getting pregnant while in high school, to think they were even being arrogant to their parents about it. I’m glad when they finally admitted they were wrong and they needed their parents’ support and guidance.

Eunhui/Hansu made me think of first loves. Hansu will always be the handsome crush you can never be with. i wish that Eunhui will also find the right guy for her. I think she is an amazing woman and any guy will be lucky to have her.

Special mention to the little girl who played Eungi. What an amazing young actress!

The ost are so nice to listen to.

Makes me want to plan for a trip to Jeju next year!!

Rating: 9/10

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Ashfall (2019)

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Movie: Ashfall (백두산)
Release Date: December 19, 2019
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot
Mt Baekdu erupted, causing massive earthquake in Seoul. A team tries to retrieve the nuclear bomb with the help of a NK spy to prevent Mt Baekdu from further erupting.

Main Cast
Ha Jung Woo – Jo In Chang
Lee Byung Hun – Lee Jun Pyeong
Ma Dong Seok – Kang Bong Rae
Jeon Hye Jin – Jeon Yoo Kyung
Bae Suzy – Choi Ji Young

Review
My 4th Ha Jung Woo movie this month 😊

This movie felt like two movies combined into one. It starts with a disaster movie, where Mt Baekdu erupted and the resulting earthquake severely impacted Seoul and North Korea. And a team was dispatched to steal a detonator from NK and to place it in one of the mines in Mt Baekdu to diffuse the pressure and prevent an even massive eruption.

The SK team met the NK spy who made their mission difficult by double dealing with the Chinese to bring the detonator of the nuclear bomb and somehow the US army found out about it and the movie became a spy thriller.

Great effects although the earthquake was too severe to be realistic. I love the tandem of Lee Byung Hun and Ha Jung Woo. Their fights were intense as they tried to outsmart the other but they worked best as a team. I was also laughing out loud at some of their scenes. Would love to see them in a proper action comedy flick again. It’s my first time seeing Ha Jung Woo in this kind of role since he always plays roles where he is just so good and smart at everything, so it was nice seeing him fumble and be funny. Of course by end of the movie he was able to solve everything!

Suzy as his wife i think didn’t really have a lot of scenes and was just there to provide some emotional reason for the captain to come back alive. The professor who thought of the most harebrained idea of detonating Mt Baekdu also had a side story which I also liked.

Overall I would say this is more of a spy thriller under the guise of a disaster movie. The plot is unrealistic but still fun to watch.

Rating: 8/10