Tag: Action

Review: Alice in Borderland

Posted March 14, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Alice in Borderland

Starring: Yamazaki Kento, Tsuchiya Tao, Murakami Nijiro, Morinaga Yuki, Machida Keita, Miyoshi Ayaka
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Drama, Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Country: Japan
Director: Sato Shinsuke
Where to Watch: Netflix

Arisu Ryohei—a listless, jobless, and video-game-obsessed young man—suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games in order to survive. In this strange world, Arisu meets Usagi, a young woman who’s navigating the games alone. After a dangerous game which tests Arisu’s limits, the two set out together to unravel one mystery after another as they risk their lives and confront what it means to live.

I have been meaning to watch this show for a while but never got around to it but when my friend DJ recommended it, I knew that I had to get it done, and while I didn’t end up loving it the way that everyone on the internet did, I still rather enjoyed it. It was crazy, it was thrilling and it was compelling as hell and I’m not mad at all that I watched it. I started watching it with my best friend, Theresa but after the third episode, we had to take a break because OH HELL NO, not the friends! Therese ended up not finishing it out, but I did.

The Story

This drama had some serious Hunger and Squid Games vibes with our cast playing deadly games to stay alive. I guess this drama was adapted from a manga that was loosely inspired by Alice in Wonderland. There’s a lot of violence, a lot of gory death, and let’s just say that this one ain’t for the kids. None of that bothered me and I think a lot of it worked well with the story being told. Our main characters, Arisu and Usagi are thrown into a world of deadly games where they have to keep winning games to stay alive. It was crazy that we actually saw the losers get eliminated from each game and that amped up my anxiety but also kept me invested. I needed to see both Arisu and Usagi succeed and take the gamekeepers down. That was where I was interested in from beginning to end.

The Cast

This is one of the first J-dramas that I watched so everyone was brand spanking new to me. I can’t say that anyone stood out to me. I was more invested in what was going on instead of who was who. I did enjoy Arisu and Usagi though. I also really liked Arisu’s friends from the very beginning but aside from them, nobody else stood out that much to me. I liked seeing Arisu, who I thought wouldn’t really amount to anything when we first meet him but holy cow did show me. With each game that he played, he kept right on impressing me. Same with Usagi, when we first meet her, I knew that she was going to be a big part of the game but I didn’t realize how much I’d come to love her character. She had a huge heart and when she wouldn’t leave that kid, I became a huge fan of hers. She was pretty great. Everyone else kind of reminded me of like a modern, fucked up version of Alice in Wonderland.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a solid drama. It wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy the Arisu and seeing him battle day in and day out to survive. I don’t think that I could have survived that madness because each game was crazier than the last and I had hella anxiety watching because I had no idea how the hell Arisu was gonna beat the game. Both seasons were crazy and I’m glad that I watched them both. Did I mention how much I hate how Netflix splits up seasons? Cause I hate but lucky for them, I watched this when both series were already out so I didn’t have to wait to see how everything turned out. As solid as this drama was, the effects were pretty awesome but there were episodes that I struggled to get through and there were some characters that I didn’t care about but overall, I’m not mad that I watched it and I would recommend if you were in the mood for something on the crazy side.

Final Rating

3.5 out of 5

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Review: Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area – Pt. 2

Posted February 28, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Money Heist: Korea – Joint economic Area – Part 2

Starring: Yoo Ji Tae, Park Hae Soo, Jeon Jong Seo, Lee Won Jong, Kim Ji Hoon, Jang Yoon Ju
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 6
Genre: Drama, Action, , Thriller
Country: South Korea
Director: Kim Hong Seon
Screenwriter: Ryu Yong Jae, Kim Hwan Chae, Choi Sung Joon
Where to Watch: Netflix

Thieves overtake the mint of a unified Korea. With hostages trapped inside, the police must stop them — as well as the shadowy mastermind behind it all.

I’m really not a fan of Netflix splitting up k-drama seasons like this. I wish we would have gotten the episodes the same way that we get the other k-drama episodes, 2 episodes a week because this 6 episode split is annoying as shit.

I will say that because of the split in seasons, by the time this one aired, I wasn’t in a rush to watch it. I forgot about it, I forgot most of what happened in the first season and didn’t take the time to do a re-watch before jumping into this one but even with all of that, I still enjoyed the second season a lot more than I was anticipating to.

The Story

I didn’t watch the original Money Heist so I don’t know how different this version was but overall, I thought this story was solid. From the reasons for the Money Heist team plan, to the carry out, each different cast member, and everything overall I thought was done well. It didn’t take me long at all to finish out the series and once I jumped into part 2, I was right back in. Everything that I forgot, came back pretty quickly and things have progressed in the Mint so they’re gearing up for their final move. Seeing the push and pull between the Professor and Woo Jin was crazy but it only added to the excitement of the story being told.

The Cast

The cast once again made me happy, made me sad, made me cry, and just every little thing under the sun. Each cast member, no matter what side they were on, played their parts well and even the characters that I didn’t like, I liked what they brought to the series so alls well that ends well. I thought that it would be hard to remember who was who, outside of everyone on the team, but it was pretty easy to keep everyone straight from the heist team, the bank people, the cops, the government folks, everyone was easy to recognize and remember. Lots of three dimensional characters and I liked them.

Final Thoughts

I thought this show was pretty good from beginning to end. The lead up to the end kept me invested and I thought that this was such an easy watch that I wondered why it took me so long to finally jump into it. There’s lots of action, lots of twists and turns and just a solid ass show that will entertain the socks off of you so if you’re in the mood for a suspenseful thriller, this one is definitely for you. There’s lots of things to recommend this show. My favorite is this…

So yeah, 4 out of 5, would definitely recommend.

Final Rating

4 out of 5

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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: Weak Hero Class 1

Posted December 29, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Weak Hero, Class 1

Starring: Park Ji Hoo, Choi Hyun Wook, Hong Kyung, Kim Su Gyeom, Lee Yeon, Shin Seung Ho
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 8
Genre: Drama, Action, Youth
Country: South Korea
Director: You Su Min
Screenwriter: You Su Min
Where to Watch: Viki

Yeon Shi Eun is a model student, who ranks at the top at his high school. Physically, Yeon Shi Eun appears like a weak boy, but by using his smarts, tools, and psychology, he fights against violence that takes place inside and outside of his school.

One of my favorite actors of this year and last is Choi Hyun Wook and the minute news dropped of his inclusion in this drama, I was in there like swimwear. Even though I’m kind of over bully stories, I was going to watch this no matter what and I’m SO glad that I did because this show??? Yeah, it’s that shit.

This is probably the best high school drama centered around bullies and violence that I’ve seen, period. I didn’t read the webtoon so I came into this drama completely ignorant of the story, the characters, and anything else to do with it so my thoughts are completely on the drama. My enjoyment of this drama was so high that I finished all eight episodes in one sitting. Of all the dramas that I watched this year, this is the drama that captivated me and had me at the edge of my seat through every single episode. The writers didn’t waste any scenes, didn’t waste any words, and didn’t waste any time with getting this show on the road.

This drama follows three high school students who become friends. Yeon Shi Eun is a loner who is just trying to graduate, get in college, and mind his business. He’s used to being on his own so when he becomes the target of harassment at school, he does everything he can to make sure it doesn’t escalate. That doesn’t go over well with his bullies who have too much time on their hands and of course, rich parents. Ahn Soo Ho is a coaster. He doesn’t care that much about school, is really only going so that he can graduate because it’s what his grandmother wants and he really loves his grandmother. He’s a really good fighter and that skill comes in handy when he befriends Shi Eun and the new transfer student, Oh Beom Seok. Oh Beom Seok is the son of a politician who had to switch schools because he was picked on pretty rough at his last school so he’s hoping to start new but when he gets roped into helping the bullies pick on Shi Eun, he hires Soo Ho to save Shi Eun.

The three become fast friends, even though Shi Eun did all that he could to discourage that connection as well. There’s no discouraging Soo Ho though. Soo Ho kept showing up until Shi Eun gave up. The thing about the three of these guys is that the school violence goes far beyond the school grounds. It felt like no matter where Shi Eun went, the bullies followed him and made it hard for him to live his life peacefully. The conflict grows when the trio befriends a young girl named Young Yi. When she joins the group, she brings about some internal conflict that seriously pissed me off at every turn.

There was so much conflict for such a short drama and despite there only being 8 episodes, I didn’t feel like the story suffered any because of that. I thought that the execution for this drama was done really well. It’s not an easy watch by any stretch but it was compelling as shit. It was dark, it was violent, but it was also gripping. This show had me in a chokehold and even though I wanted to fight everyone and their mom, I couldn’t stop watching. Park Ji Hoon did the damn thing in this one. I’m not sure if he’s in anything else but this will not be the last drama that I watch him in. I think he’s got a bright future in acting and I look forward to supporting his journey.

As much as I loved him and his portrayal of Shi Eun, Choi Hyun Wook was the highlight for me (who’s surprised?). I really, really, really, really loved his character and I cried buckets at the fight scene (if you know, you know) and I was so furious with Beom Seok that I had a hard time sympathizing with the kind of family life he had. He made it so hard to sympathize with him by acting out the way that he did…especially with Soo Ho. And his answer to Shi Eun when Shi Eun asked him why he did everything that he did? PISSED ME OFF EVEN MORE. I hated that instead of having a conversation with Soo Ho, he becomes the very worst version of himself and he did not deserve Soo Ho. He didn’t even deserve all of the chances that Shi Eun gave him.

I really enjoyed Shi Eun’s character. At first, second, and even third glance, you see a regular kid who doesn’t talk to others much and really minds his own business. He doesn’t look like a fighter and goes out of his way to avoid violence but seeing him driven to defend himself and his friends time and time again had me so soft for him. Like, I wanted to shield him from all of the hurts that this world kept dropping on him. I wanted to be on his side and be the support system that he so desperately needed. The acknowledgment from his parents came too little, too late for me but I did like that despite having shitty and neglectful parents, he still became such a strong and upstanding person.

I know that we’re getting a second season and I cannot wait. I need to know how this all turns out and what happens to Shi Eun, Soo Ho, and even Beom Seok after some time has passed. I’m curious to see if we see them all show up at Shi Eun’s new school. Overall, this was a pretty terrific drama and I’m so glad that I watched it. I’ll be waiting as patiently as I can for any kind of announcement for the next season so if you haven’t already watched this, I highly recommend that you do. This drama was nothing that I imagined it was going to be but I’m okay with that because it was so stinking good.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4.5 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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