Tag: 4.0 Reviews

Review: Alchemy of Souls 2: Light and Shadow

Posted February 16, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Alchemy of Souls 2: Light and Shadow

Starring: Lee Jae Wook, Go Yoon Jung, Hwang Min Hyun, Shin Seung Ho, Yoo Joon Sang, Oh Na Ra
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Park Joon Hwa, Bae Hyun Jin
Screenwriter: Hong Jung Eun, Hong Mi Ran
Where to Watch: Netflix

Jang Uk returns from death, and three years later, the story of the mages unfolds anew. Jang Uk becomes a hunter of the soul-shifters when a young woman, a prisoner in her own home, seeks his help to reclaim her freedom.

After a short break, Alchemy of Souls returned to finish things up and my best friend and I were here for it all. We were here for finishing out the story, and seeing where all the characters ended up and we weren’t mad about the female lead change either. That made sense to me. It worked for the story that was being told, and if I had a gripe about anything in this season, it was that we never got a Naksu vs. JinMu showdown. Everything else? It worked and I enjoyed it a lot.

One thing that I enjoyed about this season was that I didn’t need to watch the first season again to remember where we were in the story, what to expect, or anything like that. Therese and I were able to just jump right into the new season and go from there, so that was good.

The Story

Season 2 of Alchemy of Souls picks up three years after the first season ends. Things look really different in Daeho. Yul is still sick from that damn blood bug that homegirl put inside him last season. Dang Gu and Cho Yeon are separated. Prince Go Won is on the outs with Jang Uk, who has the ice stone and is killing soul shifters left and right. Jin Bu Yeon is back and she’s locked up in the dungeon at Jinyowon. When chasing a soul shifter brings him to Jinyowon, he uses his new powers to sneak in and comes across Bu Yeon. These days, Jang Uk has little time and desire to interact with anyone and it shows when Bu Yeon pleads for his help in escaping her prison. Not being able to completely ignore her, he helps her in the funniest of ways and does not expect to keep running into her wherever he goes. Before he knows what’s what, Jang Uk pretends to marry Bu Yeon and even though he had his reasons for wanting to marry her, loving her was never in the cards for him. Not when he was still drowning in guilt for failing to protect Mudeok, his long lost love.

The more time he spends with his fiance, the more things start to click into place until Jang Uk has no choice but to stand up against the very evil that took his love away from him.

Male Lead

Jang Uk is a lot darker than he was in season one. It makes sense since my guy is heartbroken and dealing with the burden that came along with his new powers from the ice stone. He had no intention or plans to save everyone in Daeho, along with everyone else in the world. He didn’t care about anything or anyone and once he found out that there was a person with divine powers that could put him out of his misery, he planned to make her his wife so that she can destroy the ice stone in him and in turn, probably destroy everything else too. Gone are the days when Jang Uk would have thought to do the right thing and use his powers for good. He doesn’t want any of the responsibility so he wants out.

I’m not going to lie. I spent a good deal of this season pissed at his fine ass. He kept hurting my girl, Bu Yeon, over and over again. But alls well that ends well because once he finally gets over himself, his grief, and gets to know Bu Yeon, he falls in love again and seeing him struggle made my heart hurt for him. Even while I was mad at him for always being so mean to Bu Yeon, I never blamed him for the way that he acted. Even though he didn’t want the responsibility that came with his powers, he dealt with everything that was thrown at him. He grudgingly stepped in when he was needed and even though it would have been so easy to turn to the dark side, he didn’t and he was still a really good friend to his loved ones. No matter how mad I got at him, I still loved him most and if that ain’t love, I don’t know what is.

Female Lead

A lot of people were not a fan of the female casting change but I wasn’t one of them. I started the first season because Go Yoon Jung was in it. Sure, she was only in it for a handful of minutes and I ended up loving everyone else, it was her that brought me around to wanting to watch it. So I was waiting for her return this season, quite anxiously too.

Bu Yeon was the light to Jang Uk’s dark. She was bright, bubbly, and completely adorable to me. I loved that she was determined to get out of that dungeon. I loved that even when the chips were down, she never stayed down. She got right back up and learned to fight another day. I loved that she was so self aware. She knew she was pretty and she also knew that she was a bit of an airhead but didn’t let that stop her from trying to figure out her future outside of her mother’s clutches. I loved how completely sure she was of her love for Jang Uk and even when she realizes that Jang Uk already gave his heart away, I loved that she was prepared to love her all by herself for the rest of her life. She didn’t begrudge him his feelings even if his feelings hurt her. When her memories started coming back and she was so confused about who’s memories they were. If they were hers or if the memories were part of her power somehow, I enjoyed the angst that came with having to wait week after week for more clues to put everything together. As Bu Yeon, I enjoyed her even though I waited all season long for Naksu. It was Naksu that I was invested in and it sucked that after all this time, we never really got to see her.

The Cast

Man, it was so good to see everyone back in action. From the Crown Prince to the Parks, Maidservant Kim, the Seo’s, and hell, even the damn Jin’s. I didn’t miss JinMu’s ass and he annoyed the ever loving shit out of me in this season but it was still good to see everyone again. This season Master Lee and his constant air of mystery annoyed me. I was like, dude we don’t have a lot of time to fuck around, what the hell do you know and who are you telling the truth too because you were telling a lot of stories that conflicted with what you told others. I did like seeing everyone come together to save Yul. I also liked seeing Maidservant Kim and Park Jin being so cute and in love with each other. I loved seeing them worry over their kids and I cried when they all banded together to battle the bad guys and they got caught in the middle of it all. All of the powerful mages were a lot of fun to see in action. I’m gonna miss all of them for a long time.

Final Thoughts

As a whole, this show served the goods. Was it perfect? No. Did that matter to me? Not entirely. Sure, there were a lot of loopholes left when everything was said and done and I was bummed about that because I really wanted a Naksu and JinMu showdown. I wanted Naksu to somehow be able to clear her name and live as her true self, either Naksu or Cho Yeon. I didn’t want her to stay a Jin. Overall, I loved these characters too much to stay mad about not getting the exact show that I wanted. I loved the chemistry between all of the different characters both on screen and off. These characters became very dear for me and I had a hard time saying bye to all of them. All of these actors have made themselves a permanent spot on my favorite actors list and I will be heartily supporting their upcoming and future projects for as long as I amble. So while it’s not perfect, I still loved it and would recommend.

Final Rating


via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Fan Letter, Please

Posted January 10, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Fan Letter, Please

Starring: Yoon Park, Choi Soo Young, Shin Yeon Woo, Jeon In Ji, Kang Da Hyun, Kim Sang Woo
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Country: South Korea
Where to Watch: Viki

Han Kang Hee is a top star actress who started acting ever since childhood. Because of the pressure as a top star, her self-esteem begins to drop and bad comments about her drama increase. The stress caused by those comments keeps her away from fanletters as well. In this crisis, she coincidentally runs into her first love, Jung Seok. He was a popular kid back in school but is now a single father of a sick child. His daughter Yu Na writes a fanletter to Kang Hee as her huge fan. However, as her letter doesn’t make it to Kang Hee, Jung Seok writes back instead. Kang Hee’s story with a beloved fan and her first love begins with a special fanletter.

Yoon Park made his way onto my radar when I watched him in Forecasting Love and Weather last year. His character started off as such an ass but I’m glad that over the course of the show his character kept right on charming me until eventually, he completely won me over. I don’t remember watching him in any other show so when I saw that this show was coming out, I was in.

The Story

This drama tells the story of A-List actress, Han Kang Hee, and a guy from high school, Bang Jung Seok. Jung Seok had a big crush on Kang Hee when they were in school but after a misunderstanding, they fell out with each other and drifted apart. Years later, they run into each other as adults and their lives are completely different and they, themselves are even more different. Jung Seok is a single father with a daughter who has cancer. Kang Hee is a famous actress that is struggling with PR issues. Jung Seok’s daughter is a huge Kang Hee fan and when she starts writing letters to her, her father delivers them and to everyone’s surprise, Kang Hee starts writing her back.

Kang Hee is also surprised when it comes to her attention that she’s been writing letters to a young girl with cancer and when she finds out that the girl’s father is someone she actually knows, she’s curious.

Male Lead

Yoon Park as Jung Seok was such a sweetheart and a good father and I absolutely adored him. He was smart and he was hard-working and such a devoted father that it was hard not to root for him. It was more than obvious that he still harbored a secret crush on Kang Hee but seeing him grow more and more confident in himself as the show progressed made for an enjoyable viewing experience. He’s not the perfect character that has all of his shit together but he’s a flawed character that is trying his best and I really liked that about him.

Female Lead

I haven’t watched a whole lot of shows with Choi Soo Young in them but I do like her acting. This was a fantastic role for her and I thought she did really well with it. Kang Hee was perfect on the outside but a mess on the inside and seeing her work through her issues and become stronger and stronger as the show progressed was great. It took her a while to work through her fear of getting fan letters (her reason for that was completely understandable, btw) and seeing her grow closer and closer to both Jung Seok and his daughter was great too.

The Cast

Aside from the two main leads, not a lot of other people were familiar to me. There were just a couple of people that I recognized from other shows so I can’t really say much about everyone. As much as I enjoyed the characters from the hospital (the other kids and the Moms), and then the reporter guy, not a lot of them were memorable though I’m sure that will change once I see more stuff with them in them.

The main leads definitely carried this show for me.

Final Thoughts

This show was a lot of fun. It was funny, it made me happy sigh and it even made me tear up as well. It packed a pretty great punch for such a short show. I thought for sure that I’d find it lacking in some way or form but that wasn’t the case at all. I didn’t think that it felt rushed or that the relationship and story suffered from not having more time to develop. I thought the actors, the writers, and everyone else told a solid story, developed a strong romance, and brought about a lovely cast of characters that charmed the socks right off of me. From the main characters to the kids, even the high school friends, and the convenience store owner, everyone did their thing and I enjoyed every last bit of it.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Little Women

Posted December 27, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Little Women

Starring: Kim Go Eun, Nam Ji Hyun, Park Ji Hoon, Wi Ha Joon, Uhm Ki Joon, Uhm Ji Won
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Action, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Director: Kim Hee Won
Screenwriter: Jung Seo Kyung
Where to Watch: Netflix

About three sisters with a close bond who grew up in poverty. It is the exciting story of the sisters as they get embroiled in a major incident and face off against the wealthiest family in the nation.

Kim Go Eun plays the eldest sister Oh In Joo, who wants to protect her family with money. Growing up in extreme poverty, her only dream was to live as well off as other normal people, but a major incident completely shakes up her life.

Nam Ji Hyun takes on the role of the second sister Oh In Kyung, a news reporter who does not want to bow down to money and aims to always do what’s right. When a mysterious case from her early reporter days returns close to her, she starts digging for the truth.

Park Ji Hu transforms into Oh In Hye, the youngest overwhelmed by the love of her older sisters who work hard for her. Although she has never even used decent art supplies due to their family’s financial situation, she enters an art high school with her natural talent.

I’m super soft for both Kim Go Eun and Wi Ha Joon so it was a no-brainer that I was going to be all up in this dramas business. Add in Nam Ji Hyun and it was a must watch for me.

This show centers around the Oh sisters. They grew up poor and though they hate it, they don’t know anything else so they just do the best that they can for each other. The oldest Oh sister, In Joo works a day job that helps pay the family bills but with irresponsible parents, she can never get ahead. She tries her best to help her sisters stay afloat but there is never enough money when there is enough money, the money comes with an onslaught of problems that sends her on a spiral of action to try to keep her family safe and out of harm’s way.

The second sister, In Kyung, is a reporter who is always fighting the good fight and reporting on it. She takes pride in her work and never lets anything bad slide and she kind of bulldozes her way through each story. She seems so strong and capable but she’s hiding a secret that will destroy all of that and when she runs into a story that she can’t walk away from, no matter how much danger it puts her in, she stands firm in trying to find out the truth.

The youngest sister, In Hye, is a high school student who just wants to paint and go overseas to an art school to grow her art. She loves her family but feels smothered from her older sisters’ care and love. When she finds a way for her to make money using her talents with art, she jumps at the chance and becomes involved with a family that is shady as shit.

The thing that I found interesting about this drama was how each sister had their own set of struggles but they were all knee-deep in the same drama. They were all coming at the drama from different directions and each of their parts in the story being told had me at the edge of my seat each week. Each week left me wanting more and though I spent a good deal in the beginning, confused as hell, the way that the overall story unfolded was neat and I was a fan. The characters that I’m supposed to love, I hella loved and the characters that I’m supposed to hate, I thoroughly hated their asses so each actor and actress served what needed serving. The way that this story wraps up was satisfying though I would have been completely satisfied had there been more romance between In Joo and Do Il and if there was more of a conclusion for them as well. But, I guess I’ll write my own ending for them in my head, haha.

Is it the perfect drama? Nah. But it is still super enjoyable and visually stunning. I really enjoyed this one and thought everyone delivered their roles really well and everyone looks really good in it as well. I totally recommend, especially if you like looking at Wi Ha Joon. 🙂

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Hotel Del Luna

Posted December 15, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Hotel Del Luna

Starring: IU, Yeo Jin Goo, Shin Jung Keun, Bae Hae Seon, P.O, Jo Hyun Chul
Year Released: 2019
Number of Episodes: Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Oh Choong Hwan
Screenwriter: Hong Jung Eun, Hong Mi Ran
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Who I Watched It For: IU

Nestled deep in the heart of Seoul’s thriving downtown sits a curious hotel, the like of which no one has ever seen before. Old beyond measure, the building has stood for millennia, an ever-present testament to the fact that things are not always what they seem. Running this hotel is Jang Man Wol, a greedy, suspicious soul who has spent the past thousand years acting as the establishment’s CEO. Bound to the hotel by a deity who keeps her there to save her from going berserk and self-destruction with rage, hatred and thirst for revenge. Her only hope of escape is if she could let go of her resentment and hatred, and find love. Trapped in her resentment for a betrayal, Man Wol is doomed to spend all of the eternity running this odd establishment, catering to the needs of the most peculiar clientele.

Things take an interesting turn when Goo Chan Sung shows up. Once the youngest assistant manager ever to work at a multinational hotel corporation, Chan Sung finds himself forced to manage the Hotel del Luna because of a deal his father made with Man Wol years ago. Excellent with managing money, he starts to put Jang’s excessive spending and disastrous finance situation in order, that may be exactly what this odd establishment and its cursed CEO needs.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this show so it’s been on my radar for a while now. It didn’t come up on Netflix or Viki or anything whenever I would browse for new shows to watch but when it finally did, I didn’t even stop think about it. I just started watching. IU has fast become one of my favorite k-actresses and I thought was another solid effort of hers and if anything, made me an even bigger supporter of hers now.

I’m going to skip the story portion of my reviews and jump right into everything. The blurb included above does a pretty decent job of explaining what this drama is about. 🙂

Main Male Lead

I can’t remember seeing Yeo Jin Goo in anything else before so this was my introduction to him and his acting. I don’t have a single complaint about his work here. I was so invested in his journey, and in him finding his way with and without Man Wol. Over the course of the show, I grew softer and softer for his character and I cried a lot with him and for him.

Chan Sung was an interesting character that captured my attention from the very first episode seeing him fight and bicker his way into some super heavy feelings for Mang Wol and seeing him come to terms with his part in just everything made the show that much more compelling for me. I really liked him.

Main Female Lead

IU did her thing in this show. Jang Mang Wol was such a complex character that had a lot of hidden depths. She was so complex that at first, it was hard to connect with her but with each passing episode, you start to connect and feel for her and what she’s been through. She comes off as one kind of person but the more you dig, the more you realize that there’s more than meets the eye. By the time her story is completely out there, you won’t be able to help yourself. You’re going to love the hell out of her. At first, she frustrated me with how bratty she was but by the middle of the show, I was completely Team Jang Mang Wol…and so was Goo Chan Sung. Hehe.

The Cast

There were a lot of familiar faces on this cast and I liked each and every single one of them. My favorites of the bunch being Ji Hyun Joong (the bell boy) and Sanchez, but also the high school girl, Kim Yoo Na. As great as everything and everyone else were, aside from Man Wol and Chan Sung, I was most interested in these guys.

I thought each character made a great addition to the overall story being told and I really enjoyed the way that they all came together.

Final Thoughts

IU, Jin Goo, and everyone created a fun, interesting, and delightful drama and I’m super glad that I watched it. I wasn’t expecting the humor and the brightness in such a dark drama but I’m so glad for those additions because they made the drama pop with a color that I enjoyed. I will say that there was a beginning hump that I had to get through so there was a lot of confusion on my end but once everything started clicking, it was hard for me to stay away. I watched this one pretty quickly and even though it’s a drama that is heavy and on the dark side, it wasn’t hard to watch at all. Once the confusion lifts, it’s pretty easy to keep up and root for our main leads. Though it’s not my favorite drama ever, I still enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for a humorous supernatural watch.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Love in Contract

Posted December 6, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Love in Contract

Starring: Park Min Young, Go Kyung Pyo, Kim Jae Young, Lee Joo Bin, Kang Hyung Suk, Jin Kyung
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Business, Contemporary, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Nam Sung Woo
Screenwriter: Ha Gu Dam
Where I Watched It: Viki
Who I Watched It For: Park Min Young

Undeniably attractive, talented, and charming, Choi Sang Eun is the living definition of the perfect partner. This is exactly why instead of marrying, she chooses to employ her skills as a contract marriage master. Transforming herself into the perfect partner for each of her clients, Sang Eun allows those who employ her services to live the perfect single life, without having to agree to a committed, life-long relationship.

A long-term client, Jung Ji Ho has been using Sang Eun’s services every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for the past five years. A man shrouded in mystery, Sang Eun knows virtually nothing about Ji Ho but that doesn’t stop her from developing some rather unexpected feelings for him. Making her life even more difficult are the equally unexpected feelings she’s recently developed for one of her newest clients, Kang Hae Jin. A popular actor who employs her services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Hae Jin often makes Sang Eun’s heart flutter.

Torn between her professional obligations and the feelings she harbors for both Ji Ho and Hae Jin, Sang Eun finds herself in an unexpected predicament. How can she possibly maintain her professionalism when her heart is leading her in two different directions?

I went into this drama expecting one thing but got something else in return. I’m not mad about it. I enjoyed all of the characters, cheered for the mains and was happy in the end. Watching this was a good idea. Let’s get into my thoughts, shall we?

The Story

This story followed three main leads as they try to find love for the first time. These are three individuals who have never been shown an ounce of love in their lives so it was rough going for a while. They all stumbled their way around their feelings, each other, and everything else going on in their individual lives. All of that made this show a whole lot more interesting than I was expecting when I first started it. I was expecting something light, clumsy, and silly but the show ended up being a lot deeper than all that.

Main Male Lead

I was sucked into this show because Go Kyung Pyo’s character, Ji Ho, was such a curious one. He hired a wife that only met up with him three days a week and he forced himself to not want more even though it was obvious that he had feelings for her. He read books on how to act in social situations, and he hardly ever spoke to anyone unless he absolutely had to. He was the least popular guy at work because he was so strange to everyone around him and yet, he got up and went to work anyway.

He was seeing a therapist about everything and for a while, it seemed that his therapist was the closest he had to a friend. But with Sang Eun’s help, he won everyone else over. Sure, he was still strange and it took a while but watching him come into his own and learn how to love and be loved in return was so satisfying. I adored him.

Main Female Lead

I may have been sucked into this drama because of Go Kyung Pyo’s character but I started this drama because I like and enjoy Park Min Young’s acting. I haven’t watched everything that she’s been in but the few shows that I have watched, I liked her a lot. As much as I liked her as Secretary Kim, I think that Choi Sang Eun is my favorite character of hers.

Choi Sang Eun was a dawg. She was a big dawg. She had a pretty rough childhood. She was an orphan and when a pretty woman came and took her away, she built up all of these fantasies about being part of a family so she tried her hardest to please everyone around her, and instead of being happy, she was used at every turn. She was being groomed to be married off to further business opportunities and when she couldn’t take it anymore, she stormed off and never returned to that life. She turned all of that grooming into a successful business for herself and though she lived her life for herself, she still had ties to the woman that kept trying to sell her off to the highest bidder.

Each and every single time that Sang Eun was knocked down, she got right back up and dusted herself off then went out and tried again. She never backed down from a fight and she faced each and every single thing bravely. I really liked her and liked the person she was with both her best friend but with the two male leads as well. She was strong, she was capable, and she was caring. She was the bomb even when she got on my nerves, I loved her.

Second Lead

Kang Hae Jin really grew on me. Not that I ever hated him or anything but he was never in the running for who I wanted Sang Eun to end up with. With each passing episode, I got softer and softer for him because man, my guy just wanted to be happy and in love with someone who loved him back. Who wouldn’t want that? I loved seeing him grow into his own over the course of the drama too. When we first meet him, he’s kind of bratty and the typical celebrity who is only concerned about himself but the more you get to know him, the more you realize that all is not what you see. There was depth to his character and though he was running from his problems, when he finally stands up and fixes them, I thought he handled them well.

So yeah, I loved him too.

The Cast

From Ji Ho’s work place peeps to Hae Jin’s work place peeps and then Sang Eun’s best friend, I thought each group was a lot of fun though my favorite group of the bunch is definitely Ji Ho’s work friends. They each made me laugh, made me mad, or just made me happy. I thought each of them really delivered their best efforts in trying to bring the stories to life and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them.

Hae Jin’s family was a piece of work and I wanted to kick them all in the dick right along with Sang Eun’s Mom. I’m glad that both Hae Jin and Sang Eun were able to find their own people who loved and supported them. Does Sang Eun’s Mom play any other kind of character though? I’m tired of hating her in every drama I see her in. A lot of the cast were new faces to me but I enjoyed them a lot so I’m looking forward to seeing them around other k-dramas. Lots of fun folks for sure.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this drama was an unexpected delight for me. I went into it thinking that I’d get one thing and got something else completely. Something much better. This is a totally bingeable Korean drama. Its packed with a great cast of characters that made me laugh, cry, and happy sigh. Each episode built the story up bit by bit and I appreciated the writers efforts in delivering an enjoyable watching experience. I definitely recommend this drama if you’re looking for a straight up good drama.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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