Good Casting review

 

Drama name: Good Casting
Country: South Korea
Year: April- June 2020

Heard about this drama through the K-drama community, was excited for its release as I thought it would be a female version of Terrius. Luckily it was aired on my local cable TV channel so I was able to watch it every week as it was being aired. 

So, what's this drama about?

Baek Chan-Mi is a NIS agent and she was in charge of an operation to catch the mastermind behind a syndicate which was leaking valuable information to China. Chan-Mi is a crazy mad hat person and she goes all out in every situation without care for her team members. This resulted in the death of a member in her team and the target that they were after escaped. 

Chan-Mi was then demoted as team leader and she spent two years as an unwanted NIS agent doing obscure missions. She was deeply affected by the death of the team member and she was obsessed in finding the killer which goes by the name, "Michael." 

Chan-Mi's ex boyfriend who is also a NIS agent recruited her for a new mission that requires her to go undercover in a tech company. However, she is straddled with two other female agents that will be her new team members. 

The story goes on with the trio infiltrating the company to get information and finally catching the elusive "Michael." 

Overall thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, I thought this would be another spy drama like Terrius. Turns out that this is a Korean version of Charlie's Angels! Haha! It was an entertaining drama with lots of comedy, action and romance as well. However, you will need to leave your logical brain behind for most of the parts and just enjoy the show as it is... 

Best parts of the drama

Baek Chan-Mi herself... I found myself falling in love with her crazy character from Episode 1 itself. When she beat the crap out of the other prison inmates... Everyone was afraid of her, thinking she is some psycho mental person... XD 

The Wash and Clean van... haha, it's so cute and it was their mobile operations truck...  Seriously who wouldn't suspect a cleaning van parked outside a building all day... XD

Celebrity Kang's house and cars are really nice... Haha, he was screaming when his personal assistant decided to call it quits and drew on all of his cars... 

I also liked the comic style narration while they were explaining each operation... 

Some yummy looking food too... 

There were some cute plushies featured in this drama as well... the huge duck was really hilarious... 

Notable scenes

The bodyguard moment with Celebrity Kang and Im Ye-Eun... haha that was really funny and sweet! 

Another funny scene was at the laboratory of the bad guy... He thought it was a ghost in the air-con vent.. XD 

Conclusion

After countless operations and close shaves... Chan-Mi finally closes in onto Michael... It was a flurry of action and comedic scenes.... to a sad scene where the loyal right hand man dies... Man, why did he have to die? 

They managed to capture Michael which turns out to be the lab guy. But the syndicate lives on as he was killed while he tried to escape from the hospital. Don't worry guys, there is a happy ending for all the ladies! Celebrity Kang and Ye-Eun becomes a pair, Hwang Mi-Soon and her family becomes better... and the main leads Chan-Mi ends up with Yoon Seok-Ho... I really liked their relationship it was so sweet. 

The drama ends with an open ending, with another mission to accomplish... 

A light hearted drama with lots of comedy, action, romance and some espionage all mashed together... :D Sang-Yeob is good looking as ever... I did enjoy watching this show but not enough for a repeat or second season. The chemistry between the three ladies was really good. I loved all of them... I'll leave you here with the sassy trio. Hope everyone is doing well. I still have a lot of drama reviews but I'm just too tired to compile. Haha... take care everyone. 

Backstreet Rookie review

 

Drama name: Backstreet Rookie 
Country: South Korea
Year: June- Aug 2020

I jumped into this drama around Episode 7 or 8 while it was airing on my local cable TV. Didn't backtrack to watch the earlier episodes until much later... Though I completed the drama not long after it finished airing. 

So, what's this drama about?

Choi Dae Hyun is a thirty something year old man who runs a franchise convenience store nearby his home. It is his dream of operating such a store after working for the parent company as a sales manager for a couple of years. 

However, running the 24-hour store by himself has taken a toll on him and his family asked him to hire a part-timer. Dae Hyun was reluctant at first because the store was not making any money and he couldn't pay the wages. Eventually he caved in and posted a vacancy sign on the store's main door. 

Enters Jung Saet Byul, a high school drop-out who applied for the position. Dae Hyun hires her only to realise she was one of the high school girls from three years ago, which asked him to buy cigarettes for them as they were under-aged at that time. His impression of Saet Byul was not a good one from the start, and the rest of the story goes on with how Dae Hyun and Saet Byul's relationship grew from one of distrust to a one filled with love. 

Overall thoughts

This drama is along the likes of "What's wrong with Secretary Kim?" (Which should be entitled, "How Secretary Kim got married" instead) and Backstreet Rookie should have been called, "How Saet Byul got her man" (Sorry, not sorry) Yes, it's how a high schooler's crush became a reality and she managed to nab her dream man's heart in the end. 

I am aware that this show is based off an adult webtoon and the story line contains sexual content... (read some online comments) However, I'm giving this review solely based on watching the drama as with most of the audience that have not read the webtoon. 

Best parts of the drama

The convenience store itself... I know we have seen countless k-dramas with the 24-hour store where the leads will eat ramyeon or buy beer... :D It's nice to see it as the setting of the whole drama for once. (I'm also guessing because of Covid-19 restrictions so it's a perfect place to film rather than going to various locations for shooting) 

Ji Chang Wook visuals... Yes, I know... you ladies out there are watching for this handsome individual! XD He does not disappoint of course. Even wearing a convenience store outfit he still looks good! 

Lots of ramyeon eating in this show... Haha! Yes, alongside with other food as well. I wonder how much did the cast consume while filming... 

Comedic scenes and the second leads pairing... I know, there was a big controversy regarding the second lead's character portrayal... However, the pair's relationship was far better than the main leads. I actually continued the episodes just to watch this couple instead... 

Notable scenes

The creepiest stalker smile which I have ever seen!! I'm not kidding. The flashback scene where Saet Byul spies Dae Hyun in the convenience store while walking in the rain with the umbrella. Seriously... what was the writer thinking?! 

I know that girl has been crushing on him for years... but really... do you stalk your crush with a creepy smile? Hahahaha.... I'm sorry, I cannot. 

Besides that, I do admire Saet Byul's fighting ability in the show, at least a female lead that can fight so badass! Nice. 

Conclusion

As you already know by now it is a good ending... but as usual k-drama style, right before the main leads get together forever there will be a separation. This part irritated me a lot... When Dae Hyun finally recognises his feelings for her, Saet Byul plays runaway. And she runs to the countryside and works on a farm. 

Honestly, in real life a pretty girl like her will be r*ped or maybe kidnapped already because she is so pretty. Not implying that countryside or farms are dangerous or bad, just in society and real life it does happen. But in a k-drama it is all safe and the farm belongs to the second lead's father... Hero comes to persuade her to come back to his store and work. Saet Byul saves the hero from some bad guys on the farm but refuses to follow Dae Hyun back. She returns to the store some time later... 

The show ends with the couple about to kiss, but then they broke the fourth barrier... They looked at the camera and turns around to reveal the whole cast and crew in the back scenes. I get that the writer did this to prove that the show does not contain any of the sexual content as the webtoon has. Throughout the whole duration of the the show's airing, it was constantly getting criticisms that it was not family friendly and it was kinda like, "In your face" reply from the team. It was an interesting ending concept no doubt. 

The drama title gave me the impression that it could be some street guy who is street smart that champions justice maybe...but I was so wrong. :(  I was totally disappointed that the story had no story actually. For those who love romance, you won't be disappointed. There is a huge face on kiss in the first episode even... and there are countless scenes of romance between the leads. 

It was just an okay drama. Both male and female are handsome and pretty, so if you are a fan of either one you might still enjoy the drama. Thanks for stopping by. Will leave you with the second pair weaving in the webtoon name into the drama... 

Kkondae Intern Review

Drama name: Kkondae Intern/ Old school intern
Country: South Korea

Year: May- July 2020

Stumbled across this drama on my local cable TV channel. It was airing a re-run of She Was Pretty and I was watching it, when it ended they started this show. I did see it airing earlier this year but I was not interested at that time as the episodes were already quite advanced and I don't like jumping into a drama mid-way. Glad they had a repeat airing and I could watch it properly again. 

So, what's this drama about?

Ga Yeol Chan is a recent graduate who managed to get an intern job at a ramyeon company. He started off full of enthusiasm but was shot down by the manager, Lee Man Sik. Mr Lee is a kkondae, meaning an old man with dead old school mindset and values. Yeol Chan was a constant target of hate from Mr Lee who made his life a living hell. One day, Mr Lee asked Yeol Chan to visit an old man who had a lawsuit against their ramyeon company. 

That old man had threatened suicide many times as he had lost the lawsuit. So that night when Yeol Chan arrived, he managed to stop the man from hanging himself. However, after that night's meeting, the old man tried to kill himself again. 

Yeol Chan was accused of killing that old man and Mr Lee pushed all the blame unto him. Yeol Chan had no choice but to resign. He wanted to jump off the bridge at the Han river that night but didn't. His life changed that very night when he saw a neon signboard of spicy chicken from the bridge. 

Fast forward five years, Yeol Chan is now a successful manager at another ramyeon company. He seemed to be the coolest manager and a very sporting boss until Mr Lee arrives at his department as a senior intern. It was payback time! Yasss... 

The rest of the story goes on with Yeol Chan dealing with Mr Lee as well as keeping his job at the ramyeon company. 

Overall thoughts

It was quite an uneasy watch especially the first two episodes. Mr Lee was really mean in the beginning and throughout the rest of the show the writer didn't show much transformation of his kkondae character. Instead, they focused more on Yeol Chan making it a negative for him most of the drama until the end. 

Best parts of the drama

Yeol Chan's penthouse given by the current ramyeon company he's working for: 

The CEO son's mustang and Yeol Chan's company car... 

As with a ramyeon company drama, you will definitely expect a lot of ramyeon eating! And a lot of yummy food scenes... 

As this is a comedy genre drama, it does have some funny scenes although some may find it offensive... 

Let's not forget the cute doggie in this show! 

Notable scenes

There isn't much romance in this show, which is good in my opinion... but I know some viewers were disappointed. However, I felt that the male lead and female lead was not compatible. She suited the CEO's son more with the age gap and level of mindset... 

The scene where Tae-Ri rejects Yeol Chan and calls him a kkondae... 

My favourite scene would be the rescue... Haha!! For once I actually like the CEO's son... He looked so badass there... 

Conclusion

Yeol Chan was finally promoted to be the Managing Director of the company. However, it had been the plan by the Chairman/ CEO all along to use Yeol Chan to get rid of the enemy and place his son as co-Managing Director. Yes, this is reality. Bosses only will do things for their own family and not care about the employees who worked their butts off for the company. 

Yeol Chan decides to quit and start his own business but went bankrupt within a two years. I didn't like this part but again it is reality, it's not easy to start your own business. The drama ends with an open ending where Yeol Chan meets Mr Lee again at another ramyeon company. One position is an experienced general manager and the other is a senior intern post. 

The writer left the audience guessing who is applying for which role. Most commenters wrote that their roles have reversed. Meaning that Yeol Chan is now the senior intern and Mr Lee is the experienced general manager. 

This show is just alright for me. I didn't enjoy it much because of the negative feeling most of the drama. Even though in the end Yeol Chan became a "better" man... I felt that this script was solely written for Mr Lee. (Kim Eung-Soo) He is a good actor no doubt. I wouldn't recommend this drama unless you have some spare time to waste and want some laughs in between. You could watch it for the bromance between the two male leads rather than the romance. 

Okay, that's about a wrap. Thanks for reading and stopping by! Until the next drama review, which I don't know when... haha! Stay safe. Take care

XX Korean drama review

 

Drama name: XX/ Blue Moon
Country: South Korea
Year: Jan- Feb 2020

I stumbled across this drama after Good Casting ended. (Which reminds me I forgot to do a review on that!) Was surfing the channels looking for something to watch and this was airing. I missed a little bit of the beginning, so I went online to search for it... and ended up watching all five episodes! :D Well, actually ten episodes of half an hour each so it became just five on TV. 

So, what's this drama about? 

Basically, it's about two best friends who fell apart when one girl decided to sleep with the other girl's boyfriend and they meet again after five years. Yes, it's that simple. Haha! 

Yoon Na Na, a talented bartender who has won several awards, now works in a speakeasy bar named XX. (For those who wonder what is speakeasy, it's like a hidden type of hip place where you can only find on site, based on recommendations) Na Na's dream is to take over XX bar someday. She has been saving up to buy it but it will take another three years to do so. 

Lee Roo Mi is rich girl, who owns a famous trendy bar named Number A, wants to expand her business. She has her eyes on XX. She finds out that Na Na is working there as the head bartender and the two girls meet for the first time after five years. Roo Mi offers Na Na a job at her other bar but Na Na refuses. 

Na Na gets a shock the very next day when her boss told her that he had sold the bar. Na Na waits for the new owner to come and Roo Mi walks in the door. Yes, she bought XX bar. The horror! 

The story goes on with Na Na having to deal with Roo Mi as well as their complicated past. 

Overall thoughts

It's a simple story line but the cast acted really well. The emotions and reactions were realistic and not over the top. The cinematography is excellent too. 

Best parts of the drama

XX bar of course! It is a minimal budget drama so most of the scenes are in small locations which is really nice, adding to the overall feel of the show. 

Na Na's new bff, Wang Jung Deun a.k.a. Jayden Wang... haha! Their friendship goals is every girl's dream... 

The graphic design for each episode, it's so creative... love it... 

For the hopeless romantics, don't fret... there is a sweet romance in this short drama. Na Na's colleague, Dan Hee or Danny is really cute. He has a crush on Na Na since day one he met her... and he worked his way to be beside her all these years. I like how he took it nice and slow in dealing with Na Na. He gave her time and space, getting to know her first... really sweet. 

Notable scenes

When Na Na tries to help Roo Mi when Roo Mi's cheating boyfriend shames her in the alley... 

Then followed by the showdown by Roo Mi herself in the hotel... epic... 

Conclusion

As all stories build up to a climax, the real bad guy appears. Yes, it was the no good ex-boyfriend shows up. Na Na and Roo Mi had to overcome each of their own struggles in order to work together. 

The show ends with a good ending, the girls reconciled their friendship and they put that sleazy ex-guy away for good. 

I really liked this drama. The OST is great too, especially when that particular song comes on... you know something badass is gonna happen! Will definitely recommend this just for the overall vibe of the show. It's a short drama, you probably could just watch it in one sitting! :D 

One drawback which I agree with some comments online, that they didn't expand much on Jayden's ex who appeared at the last episode. I guess the writer just wanted to leave something hanging so that it could be continued or spin-off someday, maybe. 

That's it for now. Will leave you with Na Na and Danny, with a sweet smile... This is what a smile should look like when you see someone you love or crushing on... not some creepy ass stalker smile under an umbrella in Backstreet Rookie! Hahaha!! Yes, you knew I would make that snipe... XD