4 Han Hyo-joo Films

Yes, four is a weird number, It was supposed to be five, but I can't bring myself to finish Love, Lies knowing how destructive and tragic it will be. Anyhow, here any some mini-reviews, a product of my impromptu Han Hyo-joo Marathon last week.

Come Here and Hug Me: An Imperfect, Beautiful Drama

I'm very glad I decided to take up Come Here and Hug Me, and anyone watching will agree with me that it somehow surpasses its imperfections. Its a top example of a melodrama done right that I haven't seen since Just Between Lovers, and therefore deserves some more attention. Sadly, the show's ratings are low, even though that doesn't speak for its quality.

Mistress

This is going to be a short and to-the-point review for a short and to-the-point drama. I'm so glad I chose to pick up Mistress after installing the Viki app on my phone, because it's just enticing. Warning now, this isn't for the faint of heart, but for anyone craving a steamy murder mystery, this is perfect.

Hana Nochi Hare: Trash or Treasure?

Few people seem to understand the importance of "ironically good" shows. Have you ever watched something, and thought all the way through: "This is absolutely awful. So why do I love it so much?" That's what Hana Yori Dango has become for me; a nostalgic favourite, but also a seriously outdated romance-melodrama that thrives on chemistry alone. The author of the original manga clearly knew that she couldn't afford to lose her most popular work (although, really, she could have just put more into Cat Street, the only of her works I've actually loved), thus this strange little spin-off came into existence.

Love For a Thousand More: Trash or Treasure?

FINALLY. Proof that good web-dramas exist! Okay, I'm coming clean - when I made that list on web-drama (the first, not the second - the second actually had some good stuff on it), I thought all of those shows were sub-par, and normally they wouldn't be the kind of thing I recommend. Because, sadly, despite the potential of web-drama to showcase unique ideas in a digestible and accessible format, this potential is rarely tapped into. That means the best ones are usually mediocre rom-coms. In some senses, Love For a Thousand More is a stereotypical web-drama, and in other senses it's so much better than every other one I've watched.

Shitsuren Chocolatier

To be honest, I caught a little of this in the past, but dismissed it pretty quickly. I thought it was shallow, but now that I've watched it start to finish I can confirm Shitsuren Chocolatier is dark, sexy exploration of love and idolization. It's not a drama for everyone, but I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for some delicious looking chocolate and even more delicious heartbreak.

The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop: Good Show, Lazy Writer

I have to be in the right mood for a weekend drama, because they take patience and commitment, traits I wouldn't say I have in spades. But Wolgyesu has just enough to keep me reaching for more, even though I wouldn't necessarily say it's an objectively 'good' show.

Unnatural

Satomi Ishihara strikes gold again. Is it too early to claim Drama of the Year? Probably.

Top 5 Korean Movies

I don't believe I've done this before. Movies are not so much my forte as dramas are - I don't tend to find a lot of movies that are praise-worthy. I watch manga adaptations, and awful romantic comedies  that are neither romantic nor funny most of the time. I think I've finally seen enough Korean movies to have some favourites - surprisingly, none are strictly romance, even though it's the bread and butter of drama! I have something for everyone here. Thus, without further a do, here are some of my favourite films (in no particular order, because that's less of a strain on my conscience).

Why I'm Loving Grand Prince (and why I'm not going to pretend it's perfect)

I'm excited right now. Really excited. Having only seen less than half of the show, I probably shouldn't be making any judgments about Grand Prince just yet... But I can't help it! It's been a really long time since I was this excited about a sageuk. The interesting part is that it isn't even phenomenal. It might even be pretty run-of-the-mill. But I love it, and I don't care. I'm going to run though why Grand Prince is totally worth your time, but also what it lacks.