Tag: Action

Review: Bad Prosecutor

Posted December 22, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Bad Prosecutor

Starring: Doh Kyung Soo, Lee Se Hee, Ha Joon, Joo Bo Young, Lee Shi Eon, Kim Sang Ho
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Action, Crime, Law
Country: South Korea
Director: Kim Sung Ho
Screenwriter: Im Young Bin

Jin Jung is a troublemaking prosecutor of the Central District Office. With a strong sense of justice and craziness, he punishes criminals more than they deserve. A Ra is Jung’s partner, a competent prosecutor who always judges issues objectively and handles them with a clean finish. Also at the Central District Office is the elite prosecutor Do Hwan, who believes money and power are everything. He is a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to go higher up. In a world corrupted with wealth and evil, the story of these prosecutors unfolds.

I really enjoyed seeing Kyung Soo in 100 Days My Prince and so I’ve been meaning to check more of his stuff out and when this came out, I jumped right in without even checking the blurb or a trailer first. This drama came onto my radar very randomly but I’m glad that it came across my radar because this was a pretty decent way to spend a couple of hours each week.

I thought the storytelling here was done well and though it wasn’t my favorite of the bunch of dramas that I was watching at the same time, it’s still plenty enjoyable and I definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for some good guy vs. bad guys action.

This drama centers around our main character, Prosecutor Jin Jung (Doh Kyung Soo) as he strives to take down all the bad guys in South Korea. He takes his job pretty seriously even though he is anything but the buttoned up prosecutor that one would think when thinking of prosecutors. He tackles each of his cases in a very unconventional way and I thought that worked for him. He’s got a driven personality that isn’t easily swayed but it was charming instead of annoying and like I said, it really worked for Prosecutor Jin.

When he lands himself in some trouble, he’s more determined than ever to prove his innocence and to bring the bad guys down. I wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to bring the bad guys down on his own since the bad guys were pretty powerful but I admired the hell out of his dogged determination to bring them down or die trying.

Prosecutor Jin wasn’t popular at the prosecutor’s office because of his chaotic way of working. He rubs everyone the wrong way but he had a loyal team that were just as unconventional as he was and I thought they complimented each other and him very well. They all worked really well together and even when they don’t get along, they never fail to come together when Prosecutor Jin needed them. I thought the team was charming and though they didn’t look like they’d go together, they worked really well together. I even liked the addition of Prosecutor Shin Ah Ra and Park Jae Kyung to the team. One is straitlaced and the other looks like he doesn’t care about anything but they fit into the team dynamics well and I enjoyed them.

The big bad in this show was evil as hell. I’m watching a lot of dramas where there is so much corruption in those that are in positions of power and this guy gave all of those other evils assholes a run for their money. He’s got his evil ass hand in every bad thing going on and the power to keep kicking the good guys down at every turn so it was low key frustrating that each week, the good guys had to keep fighting against so many obstacles that were put there by the rich and the powerful. What made it even more frustrating was how little care the bad guys had for what they were doing and who they hurt in their quest to get to the bigger prize around the next corner. Sure, that’s why they’re the bad guys but it still annoyed me.

The romantic in me wanted more of a romance between Prosecutor Jin and Ah Ra but I took the crumbs that we were given and made me own mind up about their feelings for each other so that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the show, haha.

Overall, this drama was action packed and had a charming cast that delivered a very enjoyable drama that had me excited to come back each week. I wasn’t ever bored and I thought Prosecutor Jin’s determination to do the right thing and how steadfast he was in keeping his hands clean and do right by the people made him a great character that I was happy to root for. The way that this story is told was fun and I’m super glad that I chose to watch it. Definitely recommend.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Alchemy of Souls

Posted December 13, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Alchemy of Souls

Starring: Lee Jae Wook, Jung So Min, Hwang Min Hyun, Shin Seung Ho, Yoo Joon Sang, Oh Na Ra
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Action, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Park Joon Hwa
Screenwriter: Hong Jung Eun, Hong Mi Ran
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Recommended By: Therese
Who I Watched It For: Go Yoon Jung

Set in a fictional country called Daeho that does not exist in history or on maps, it is about the love and growth of young mages as they overcome their twisted fates due to a forbidden magic spell known as the “alchemy of souls”, which allows souls to switch bodies.

It follows the story of an elite assassin named Naksu, whose soul is accidentally trapped inside the weak body of Mu Deok, Jang Uk’s servant, from a powerful and noble mage family in the country. The young master of the Jang Family, Jang Uk, holds a dark secret about his scandalous birth. He wants the formidable assassin to help change his destiny.

I almost didn’t watch this show because I wasn’t that interested in the premise but then my best friend told me that she was watching it and enjoying it so I took one more look and saw that my girl, Go Yoon Jung from Law School was in this one and I was immediately in. I’m so glad that I started it too because this is hands down my favorite drama of 2022. Therese and I have been obsessed wth this show since we started it. I was on pins and needles every single week and every single week, I was left wanting more. I adored the chemistry between Jang Uk and Mudeok, but I also enjoyed the story being told, and the other characters, and I just had a blast watching this.

The Story

The story follows Naksu, a trained assassin, as she tries to carry out her lifelong vengeance against every family that had a hand in the killing of her father. When she gets in over her head, she uses her magic to shift her soul into a random woman, in the village she was in so that she can save herself and figure out a way to come back from this setback. When Jang Uk asks her for her help in exchange for his silence about who she is and what she’s done, they enter into a mutual working relationship. She, as Mudeok, is maidservant to Jang Uk, a mage with no magic from one of the powerful families in Daeho.

He needs her help in unlocking his magic and she needs his help in keeping her soul-shifting secret while she figures a way out of the mess she’s in. Seeing these two battle their own individual struggles and then fall in love with each other and then battle everything together made for a very interesting drama. One that I’m very glad that I watched from beginning to end.

Male Lead

Jang Uk was my absolute favorite part of this show. There’s a lot to unpack with his character. When we first meet him, he’s down on his luck, trying to unlock his magic with the help of different teachers but so far, nobody has been able to help him. He’s the laughingstock of Daeho and yet, he’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide and he doesn’t know the meaning of give up. When he comes across the assassin Naksu, he asks her to help him unlock his magic and he’ll keep her secret. Seeing him work his ass off to unlock his magic, fall on his ass from trying all day and all night, and getting back up to try again made me soft for him. Like, all over soft for him. He was an amazing hero that I loved cheering for. He made cheering for him with each passing episode worth it and him being fine as hell didn’t hurt.

The love that blossomed between him and Mudeok (Naksu) had me hooked to my seat every single week. I am a sucker for a good romance and Jang Uk’s love for Mudeok was everything that I hoped it would and more. I loved Jang Uk in love. His character arc was interesting, it was fun, and I absolutely loved it and him.

Female Lead

I’ve only watched Jung So Min in one drama and I hated that drama so much that I never watched her in much of anything else. I’m glad that I was re-introduced to her again because I really liked her character in this drama. She played Mudeok really well and I rooted for her like crazy. She was a hard nut to crack but Jang Uk cracked it.

She was smart and she was savvy, but she was also a bit soft on the inside. Sure, her softness was hidden so deep that it was hard to see right off the bat but you could totally see Jang Uk’s influence over her and it was just so stinkin’ great. I loved that she grew close to him and that knowing him, changed her for the better. She really holds her own against pretty everything and everyone and you can’t help but respect the hell out of her. Often times, everyone loves the female lead but you don’t really know why (hello, Bella Swan) but it’s not hard to see why everyone loved and wanted Mudeok. She was that bitch and even though I started this show for the real Naksu, I still really liked Mudeok.

The Cast

From Yul to the Crown Prince, to Dang Gu to the brothel woman and the granddaughter, Maidserveant Kim, there are a lot of wonderful characters. Each and every single character brought their own charms to the story and made me a fan of them all. There wasn’t a weak link amongst this cast and for every character that I loved, there was a character that I hated just as much but even the characters that I hated had me interested in what they were up to and how my favorite characters were going to take them down.

There were a lot of familiar faces in this cast and I had a fantastic time watching them every week. The story, the cast, the romance, all of it made for a great tv viewing experience and I’m just the happiest camper that right now, the second season is under way and I’m enjoying these characters all over again.

Final Thoughts

I think what really set this drama apart from all of the other dramas that I watched this year was the chemistry between Jang Uk and Mudeok. They worked really well together and they really sold the roles that they played. They were a lot of fun to get to know and their individual stories, along with their shared story was one for the books. You start off rooting for Jang Uk to unlock his gate of energy and then you start rooting for Mudeok to find her jade stone, for them to finally be able to happy and in love, but in the end, you’re left shocked to your core that their story isn’t done and you have to wait months to find out how their story officially wraps up.

Along with some other pretty fantastic and colorful characters that carried the show well when Jang Uk and Mudeok weren’t at the center, the story is so well written and brought to life that I can’t find fault with anything, not even the way that the show ended. I’m good and well hooked on this show, the characters, and the main romance. While I didn’t like every single character in this show (hello, Jin Mu and well, all of the Jin’s along with the fake blind girl can all take a hike), there was too much substance and so much great storytelling that I loved this show to death. So, so much.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

5 out of 5

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Review: Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area – Part 1

Posted November 10, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area – Part 1

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: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Director: Kim Hong Seon
Screenwriters: Ryu Yong Jae, Kim Hwan Chae, Choi Sung Joon
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Park Hae Soo

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 a sucker for a good thriller and anything Korean so once I heard that this was coming out, I placed it at the top of my to-be-watched list.

I have enjoyed Park Hae Soo in most of the shows that I’ve watched him in and I heard a lot of good things about the Spanish version but since I primarily watch Korean shows, I knew that I was going to watch this one. This was a good show though I wish that all episodes had been released together instead of the seasons being split up. Aside from that, there’s much to recommend this drama. It’s filled with loads of action, heaps of drama, and even a surprising romance that kept the show on the up and up. I just wasn’t ready for it to be finished so soon..with loads to still look forward to.

The Story

The premise is reminiscent of Oceans Eleven, where we have a team of con artists trying to pull off the heist of all heists and I’ve got to admit that this money heist had me gripped, at the edge of my seat, and wondering how it was all going to come together. The plan itself was pretty genius, the team had the right amount of good and bad to make things interesting and there were enough gotcha moments that had me all twisted up. My only gripe was that it all happened so fast. I was left wanting more but the overall story being told here was fun and entertaining.

I will say that the genius-ness of the plan was also pretty fucked up. I mean, there was a lot that went into play to make the plan come together and holy shit, all of the balls that were thrown in the air to make the plan come together was a whole lotta, whole lotta. I was here for all of it though. I’m mighty curious about where we go from here in the second sason.

The Cast

I wasn’t too familiar with the cast from other shows. Sure, some of them looked familiar but for the most part, I got to know their acting chops through this show alone. I liked all of their acting. I didn’t think any of them was a weak link and I thought they all brought something unique to each scene. I enjoyed the dynamics between those on the team that wanted to stick as close to the straight and narrow as they can and those that were just there to blow shit up.

There was a lot of badass eye candy, a lot of shady-ass people that I knew were there to cause trouble, and enough innocent victims to round things up and of all of the characters, my favorite has to be Denver. Not only was he fine as hell, but his character was interesting and I loved his relationship with his father and the romance that blossomed between him and his boo thang. He brought a lot of complications but man were those complications a whole lot of fun. I also really enjoyed Rio and Tokyo. Those two were cute, fun, and just an overall good time so I hope to see more from them in the second season.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a fast, fun, and furious six episodes that packed a serious punch. I thought the writing was strong, the acting was superb, and I thought the way that the writers and the director wove everything together was a nice touch to a pretty fantastic drama. I will definitely be tuning in for the second season, I just need it to hurry up and release. I’m a fan of this show and I definitely recommend it. Especially if you’re in the mood for some fast action, smart drama, and loads of eye candy. This show delivers all on fronts.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Military Prosecutor Doberman

Posted October 25, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Military Prosecutor Doberman

Starring: Ahn Bo Hyun, Jo Bo Ah, Oh Yeon Soo
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Action, Military, Law
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Viki
Recommended By: Ahn Bo Hyun
Who I Watched It For: Ahn Bo Hyun

Do Bae Man became military prosecutor only to make more money and be successful. On the other hand, Cha Woo In, recently joining Bae Man’s team, became one for her revenge. As these two different purposes shows, the two have very different backgrounds and personalities. However, as they work on the same case, Bae Man and Woo In help each other and even grow together as fine military prosecutors.

This drama came on to my radar after I stopped hating Ahn Bo Hyun from Itaewon Class and fell in love with him in Yumi’s Cells. When I saw that he was going to be in a military drama, I was all in.

The first half of this show started off strong. I was interested in everything going on in each episode but the second half lagged a bit. The ending felt like it came super fast and though I was ready for the ending, I wasn’t completely blown away with the ending that we got. That’s not to say that I hated the show at all, it just wasn’t the favorite that I was expecting it to be.

I love me some Ahn Bo Hyun and I thought he delivered a fantastic performance in this one. I loved him, his character, and was rooting for him in the most background romance ever. The romance lover in me wanted the romance to be more front and center but I wasn’t mad about what we got. Jo Bo Ah was a great female lead. I enjoyed her vigilanti ass and loved how kick ass she was. Their pairing made me happy too so that was good.

The overarching story being told here about Noh Tae Nam and Noh Hwa Young was interesting as well. I won’t say that it didn’t come without it’s fair shares of frustration but I was invested in what was going on and I wanted to beat both Noh’s with a bat throughout most of the show but in the end, the one that redeems themselves won me over. I cried in the end (yes, even when I thought things moved a little slow) and that was a testament to how great everyone’s acting was.

Overall, this drama packed a bunch of action, with an interesting story, a colorful cast that moved the story between episodes nicely. Now, if the ending had matched the beginning in pacing then I think I would have given this one a higher grade but still, it wasn’t a bad watch by any stretch.

Final Rating

3.5 out of 5

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Review: D.P.

Posted September 21, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

D.P.

Starring: Jung Hae In, Koo Kyo Hwan, Kim Sung Kyun
Year Released: 2021
Number of Episodes: 6
Genre: Action, Contemporary, Comedy, Drama
Country: Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Recommended By: Nobody
Who I Watched It For: Jung Hae In

Private soldier Jun Ho is a confused youth who served in the military normally like other Koreans. One day, he suddenly becomes a member of the military defector arrest team. As such, he is tasked with capturing deserters and must grapple with the more troubling cases of why some soldiers feel they have no other choice but go absent without official leave.

I’m a pretty big Jung Hae In fan, ever since watching him in Goblin (yeah, he had a very small part but still, he made an impression) so every time that I see he’s coming out in something new, I put it on my to be watched list because why not? Now, some of his shows pissed me off but mostly it was the hot and cold act of his female lead but I’m happy to report that even though this show pissed me off plenty, I still rather enjoyed the show as a whole.

This show follows Ahn Joon Ho, a young man who reports for his mandatory military enlistment and finds a whole lot of dickhead bullies. The more senior military members hella bully their juniors and the bullying leads to a lot of guys deserting their posts. Ahn Joon Ho keeps to himself a lot but when he’s recruited to work for the military defector arrest team, being alone isn’t an option anymore because my guy gets himself a partner. His partner was a delight in the midst of so much darkness and I hella loved their pairing.

This wasn’t an easy show to watch by any means. It’s a heavy watch that doesn’t stop being heavy throughout the entirety of the show. On the upside, the show is only 6 episodes so you’ll breeze right through each episode and there’s enough packed into each episode to make the viewing worth the heaviness. There was also a lot of humor sprinkled into each episode to ease the heaviness some. I laughed a lot, and I also teared up at some of the stories of the defected soldiers. There were times when I got so angry at what was happening and at the folks causing so much trouble in these poor guys’ lives but never did I want to stop watching.

The acting is pretty fantastic throughout. Each actor gave what they were supposed to give and I appreciated their efforts because I was glued to my seat through each episode. I believed everything that was showcased so the bad guys did a great job of making me want to kick each and every one of them in the balls and the good guys did a fantastic job of making me cheer for them. The ending was a little too open-ended for me but that didn’t detract from my viewing experience too much. I definitely recommend this show if you’re looking for a kdrama with a meatier story. I think this drama sheds light on the broken military system in Korea and is a good watch. It doesn’t hurt that you’ve got some eye candy in Jung Hae In and some other swoony actors so yeah, give this one a go.

Final Rating

4.25 out of 5

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