Suspense and tension

The Guardians was full of suspense and tension. The writing and direction were very good until episode 31 and 32, when logic, communication and collaboration went out the window, and confusion, idiocy and tragedy entered the room.



Kim Young Kwang made the show sparkle, with his great height, wardrobe and acting. Kim Ki Bum (aka Key) did a very good acting job, which should make him viable for future acting projects. Kim Seul Gi also showed her acting range throughout the drama. Lee Shi Young did a very good job with the physical aspects of her role, but her monotone voice throughout the drama, made me cringe.



The music was very good, and upbeat. I could not locate the full OST on Itunes.



The final episode had the typical bad K-drama ending, that included a time jump that was unnecessary and extraneous, and a waste of the filming budget. Was I stupid, to hope for a great ending to a very good drama? Yoon Seung Ro's masterplan for a second season could have been five minutes long, and the remaining eleven minutes could have been put to better use.

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Legend of Doctor Cha

This was an average drama with saccharine acting and dialog; two reasons why I have stayed away from K-Dramas for many years. The plot had potential as a drama about infidelity and character growth. What we saw, was compromise, mistrust and miscommunication within the family unit, and narrow-mindedness.

Parent and child communication is flawed. Yes, the ingrates, Seo In Ho and Mother Kwak, did confide in each other, but they had an ulterior motive; to use and denigrate the passive FL. The two most ethical characters, Dr Cha and Mother Oh also kept secrets and sweet-talked each other, instead of trusting each other with their problems. In fact, the Seo family was deliberately undermining the mother, and enabling the father, by keeping Dr Seo’s illicit affair from Cha. Ms Oh thought her son-in-law was a saint and paragon of virtue for twenty-five years. The moral of the plot was that one should turn a blind eye, and obey the husband and mother-in-law.

Thank God, Cha rejected Seo's last ditch attempts to lure her back to the family. The husband, daughter and son, and MIL needed to appreciate the good life they had with the servile wife, mother and daughter-in-law at their beck and call.

I can't imagine the females' attraction to Seo in Ho. Why did two women with some higher education, cling to him? He had no charm or good looks. Did he throw all his money at the Mistress and Lovechild? He certainly treated the legitimate wife as a servant. He stopped having sex with the wife for ten years. After Eunsoo’s birth, did he travel to USA frequently, to be with his second family? They only returned to Korea three years ago.

Most of the characters were pathetic, with the exception of Dr Roy Kim. A shame that he did not wait for the three years’ time jump, and romance Doctor Cha. I understand Cha’s reluctance because of her illness that could end her life at any time, but Kim and she had a connection. He was the only one who was looking out for her wellbeing and happiness.

Uhm Jung Hwa was credible as Doctor Cha, the passive wife and mother and daughter-in-law, who would not challenge the manipulative, ungrateful husband and MIL, and the pampered children. One wonders if they will turn eventually into carbon copies of the father and grandmother. Cha found her identity and self-worth when she resumed her medical profession.

Kim Byung Chu as Seo in Ho; a brilliant surgeon and lying, cheating husband! Seo’s slapstick comedy act was overdone and tedious. The facial quirks, pratfalls and outbursts diminished Seo's professionalism as a topnotch surgeon and department head. He should have been in showbiz. Seo was duplicitous, verbally abusive, manipulative, and belligerent. In the end, he was promoted to Hospital Director. WTF! It would not surprise me if he preyed on another woman after his divorce.

Myung Se Bin as Choi Seung Hee; an entitled mistress! I finally understood her behavior when it was revealed that she was from a rich family, and inherited half of the father’s estate. No wonder, Ms Kwak was bitter that her son had not married Choi.

Min Woo Hyuk as Roy Kim; a knight in shining armor! It is disappointing that he did not end up with Dr Cha.

This drama had too much filler and comedic moments. The drunk sequences were excessive. It should have been trimmed to twelve episodes. The final episode was boring. Dr Kim should have waited for the three years' time jump, and wooed Dr Cha. That was enough time for Cha to find her identity and purpose in life. Most of the final episode was filler.

Story: 7.0: The drama plot was average, but it portrayed the bias against females in the family unit, except for the female hierarch.
Acting: 7.5: The actors are seasoned drama performers.
Makeup Rating 6.5: The actresses wore whiter than white foundation that made them look ghostly and ghastly. Isn't cosmetology a big industry in Korea?
Costume Rating 6.5: Some of Cha's outfits were dowdy, and Ms Kwak shopped at the Fugly Fashion House. Kwak's outfits were ugly.
Writing Rating 6: Too much filler and inane dialog
Directing and Editing Rating 7: Too much filler scenes stretching the drama.
Music Rating: 6.5
Rewatch Value: 1: Husband and MIL killed the vibes.
Overall Rating 6.5

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Memory is fleeting.

Memory was well done, except for the most asinine, ridiculous editing flaw and some shaky camera. In every episode, a scene would have a hiccup. They would say a few lines, and they would instantly repeat the sequence. It served no purpose, because it was not the ML having an Alzheimers moment. It would appear at random, and would involve other characters, as well. It felt as if the viewer was having a brain fart or Alzheimers moment.

Lee Sung Min did a realistic portrayal of a man being tested by his creeping illness and the conspiracies popping out of the woodwork. The writer made Park Tae Song (...LSM) earn his pay. Lee Jun Ho and Song So Hee were excellent as Jung Jin and Sun Hwa, the guardian angels to Park Taek Seo during his good or bad times. The Memory castlist was perfect. The main and supporting actors gave memorable performances.

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Disaster on a fast track

I decided to watch this Chinese disaster movie packed into two hours. I got lost with the earthquake/crumbling mountainside/typhoon plot. A decent production with very good CGI! The actors did a very good job. They didn't determine if ten years of drilling the tunnel in the mountain weakened the terrain, but they did mention an earthquake in the Indian Ocean as being the trigger of the local earthquake. The funniest line was when one of the workers went up to Ms Ding and said a storm (...typhoon?) was imminent, any second now. Low and behold, the storm hit the area, a second later. Really? The movie was on the fast track, no planning and execution, just execution. Othewise, the movie would be three hours long.

Zhu Yilong was very good in a non-drama role. I liked his father. The actors/characters were supporting the earthquake and collapsing mountains.

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Intense drama

Without giving away too much of the plot;

Ji Sung is THE Superstar Devil Judge, the lone revenger, who recruits a protege, to help him take out the elite, narcissistic villains who control the dystopian society of Korea. There was filler material and a ton of unnecessary flashbacks to clutter the viewers’ concentration. Editing Department went out of control.

Acting:
Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung showed their seniority and acting caliber. The other actors gave either basic or over the top performances. President Park must have escaped from the asylum for lunatics. Give that man a straight jacket.

Fashions:
Men’s fashions were on point, Women’s fashions were average (…Cha Kyung Hee) or outlandish (…Jung Sun Ah).

Story:
The plot was hindered by the flashbacks, flashbacking and choppy editing. Storyboard was all over the place. The church fire reveal was underwhelming. The writer should have pinned it on Jung Sun Ah instead.

Editing:
Too many repetitive flashbacks and choppy editing! Viewers cannot focus when they see past and present juggled in front of them.

Music:
Average

Conclusion:
Rushed, but gratifying

What I read into the final scene, is that Judge Kang has gone off the radar, to complete his revenging mission. Cue to Season 2.

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Roller Coaster Yin Yang Master

Yin Yang Master (Chen Kun) was a bizarre story. Monsters meets Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings meets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets the Scorpion King meets Thing from Adams Family. The BGM sounded very Japanese, and no wonder. The composer is Shigeru Umebayashi. The creators had one hell of an imagination. Final message indicates that a sequel is in the plans. I hope the cast, including the CGI guardian characters, returns. William Chan's Claw Cimu will not make the cut. His incomplete antlers was funny. The Monster Snake was Sauron/Smaug.

Excellent acting by Chen Kun, Qu Chu Xiao and Shen Yue. I did not recognize Cici Wang (from Tientsin Mystic).

I gave it a 7.5 overall rating because I found my anxiety level was rising throughout the movie. Having seen the original Onmyoji movies with Nomura Mansai and Ito Hideaki, I have to admit that the SFX budget on this movie was astronomical, compared to the Japanese movies.

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Cliffhanger of the Season

I watched this drama because of Zhang Ruo Yun. In the beginning, Joy of Life did not WOW me, but as the episodes dropped every week, I became riveted to the monitor. This is the first C-drama that did not drag, or contain extraneous filler. The fleeting flashbacks were the only unnecessary nuance.

Overall, the production values were top notch. This Director knew how to supervise his departments; Wardrobe, Set Design, Music, Martial Arts Choreography, Cinematography, and Editing (...more or less), to produce a clean, efficient drama work. The Film Editor did a decent job 80% of the time, but he got carried away with some impossible scene splicing (known as scene intercut) toward the end of the drama.

Zhang Ruo Yun carried the weight of the drama on his shoulders. Modern thinker Fan Xian was a fish out of "historical" water, but he blended well into the fabric of the imperial dynasty. The other cast members did a very good job with their character portrayals. Fan Xian's handlers, Uncle Wu Zhu, Wang Qinian and Teng Zi Jing, were the most intriguing and well liked characters.

Generally, I would be irate if a C-drama had a cold ending, hinting at a follow-up season. Joy of Life is the only drama that I am eagerly awaiting Season 2, which I hope, does not drag on for two years. An extended interval between Seasons 1 and 2 would disrupt the momentum and continuity, and the Producers should know that they "should strike while the iron is hot".

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Vincenzo is quirky and entertaining.

Vincenzo concluded, and the executions of Jang Han Seok and Choi Myung Hee were a gore-fest. Vincenzo is one of the quirkiest, most entertaining K-dramas, and it might be the best K-drama of 2021. I thought that it was an over-the-top silly slapstick/crime/suspense drama in the beginning, but I kept watching it every week.

Protagonists: Song Joong Ki shined in the role of Vincenzo, and he carried the show on his shoulders. This is his best acting role to-date. His special skills got the job done, while he regained his humanity. Jeon Yeo Bin was overacting as Hong Cha Young, who acted like a spoilt princess most of the time. Her supermodel catwalk strut and her facial mannerisms were very annoying. When she was serious, she radiated on screen.

Antagonists: Ok Taecyeon stepped outside the box, and chose a role that I never envisioned. Jang Han Seok was psychotic, bipolar, evil, schizophrenic and despotic. Kim Yeo Jin as Choi Myung Hee was the most irritating character in the drama. Her styling was off. She looked like a frowzy fashionista with dirty hair and expensive fashion wear. It looked like Kim never washed and combed her hair for twenty episodes.

Chump: Kwak Dong Yeon is memorable as the cowardly weak brother, Jang Han Seo, who developed a spine, and helped Vincenzo take down Jang Han Seok.

SPOILER ALERT
I found the opening segment of the final episode was very irritating. Master Executioner Vincenzo froze while Jang Han-Seok and Jang Han-Seo were having a showdown. This was so uncharacteristic in Vincenzo. I would have choreographed a better scene, with Vincenzo and Jang Han-Seo taking down madman Jang Han-Seok. Even if Jang Han-Seo was weak, he was still redeemable. As usual, the K-drama time jump wrapped up the drama. If the production team took off a week to fine tune the last four episodes, they surely raised the bar on the gore.

SPOILER ALERT
A Season 2 is probable, considering the gold bars are sitting in Hong Cha Young's shed. They could bring back Jang Han Seo, the good brother. I do not think that they acknowledged that he had died. He could be lying in a coma in a hospital, and reawaken in Season 2. The gold has to be redistributed among the Geumga Plaza residents and the lawyers. It can't sit in Cha Young's shed forever. They could build a better Geumga Plaza/residence/retailer/office building, and Han Seo could be the CEO. Wishful thinking!

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Sorcery with bad hair days and bad patterns

LLIT infused fantasy and sorcery elements with a fictional branch of the Western Wei Yuan dynasty.  Male characters are clad in voluminous, pattern-challenged costumes. The male and female characters wear overt head dress or braided hat hair.

Story:
A very creative plot about Time intervention, with some shortfalls.  The story could have been tighter, and effective with three dozen episodes.

Acting Cast:
The actors delivered solid acting performances.  William Chan and Cecilia Liu were the group leaders, but Zhang Ryan and Xu Jiawei walked away with the awards.  Zhang Ryan (Yuan Ming) receives the Wide Range of Acting Award, as the villain Prince.  Xu Jiawei (Yuan Li) receives the Congenial Character Award, as undercover Prince/Guardian of the Transformations.

Music:
The incidental music was  impressive, and facilitated the activity on screen.

Rewatch Value
I am not in a hurry to relive the drama, but I might attempt it for William Chan, Xu Jiawei (Yuan Li) and Gong Jun (Yuan Che) only.

Overall score 7.0 -  Good production values in directing, editing, acting, set design and cinematography!  Costume and hair designs were over the top, and a constant distraction. Writing was average.  The best surprise was the ending.  Overall, the episodes stretched Time. This drama should have started out the gate with eight weekly episodes, to keep the viewers' attention span.

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Plot holes due to memory loss

I watched the entire drama of 36 episodes in 1 1/2 weeks.  The actors were interesting and good looking.  The setting, Lan City, is a perfect, beautiful, clean, spacious city, and the police station is high end.  This is a review of the entire drama; Seasons 1, 2 and 3.

Story:
The story begins in the current time, with some mysterious reference to five years prior. As the drama moves forward, we learn that the main characters have wide gaps in their memories of five years prior. No surprise! A number of Alphabet Villains are introduced strategically with every new crime in Lan City, and it is obvious that they were involved with those lost memories.

As the drama reaches the last stretch, the scriptwriter takes a flashback (aka time jump backward) to five years prior, to explain the Alphabet Villains’ megalomaniacal master plan.  This is spread over five or six episodes needlessly, when we just want to see the conclusion of the drama.

Acting:
The casting is very good.  Bai Yu is exceptional as Han Chen, who is a knight in shining armor.  Yong Rang is not exceptional as Bai Jin Xi/Su Mian. The character is obnoxious and egocentric, and chatty.  She also hits her subordinate throughout the drama, which is a form of violence in the workplace. She stops being obnoxious, but is still egocentric and chatty.  The three supporting actors who play the young and handsome supporting Black Shield detectives, are very efficient.  The teamwork of the Black Shield members and their supervisor is exceptional.  

The supporting actors who play the young and handsome Alphabet Villains are efficient. The teamwork of the villains falls apart.   The old adage, “ Too many cooks spoil the broth." comes to mind.

Music:
A very good O.S.T.!

Rewatch value:
Should I forget that I watched the drama, I might end up watching it again (...Lost memory! Muahahahaha!).

Overall:
The drama is praiseworthy. The production values are high, and all the actors deliver very good performances.  The plot is clever, but the script is confusing at times, as it randomly jumps backward in time, and the villains keep popping up at the oddest times.  The script would have been solid if the drama had started out the gate with the villains hatching their diabolical master plan, the main leads losing their memories, and the time jump to five years later, when the drama originally began.

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