First Episode Recap: Shine or Go Crazy

Anyone who has seen their fair share of Korean historical dramas would know that these dramas usually revolve around a cursed prince or princess or twins who will be cast away to live in exile until their eventual return as an adult.

Shine or Go Crazy is one such k-drama where Prince Wang So (Jang Hyuk) is born during the night when the Star of War was at its brightest. His birth precludes him from having the privileged life that all royalties are accustomed to and for fear that he will bring forth more chaos and destruction to the palace, Wang So is sent to the mountains to fend for himself.

Years later, the King sends for Wang So reaching out for his help in making a great Goryeo empire that is free from the control of the nobles. The King has found a way to change Wang So's fate via an arranged marriage with a lady born of the North Star. Wang So adamantly refuses and his pain from being abandoned all those years come pouring out in a wave of resentment directed at his father. 

Their meeting is disrupted by a group of assassins and despite everything that has been said, Wang So readily comes to his father's defense. The King narrowly escapes with just a scratch, yet Wang So earns a slap from his mother, the Queen who wants him immediately out of her sight. Determined to track down the perpetrators, Wang So leaves peacefully. 

Wang So and the King's faithful guard follow the group of assassins all the way to China where through an unexpected chain of events, Wang So finds himself in a contract marriage with Shin Yool, a Korean merchant living in China who was desperate to fake a marriage in order to escape an aging general's marriage proposal.

First Impressions: I'm beginning to understand the dynamics within the royal family. The benevolent father king is actually good despite having sent his son away and the mother queen is irrationally misguided for pushing all the blame towards her younger son Wang So.

I almost gave up watching halfway through the episode. The fight scenes were subpar and the plot a repeat of every other period drama out there and don't get me started on Oh Yeon Seo's atrocious wig. As for the acting, I notice historical dramas tend to be different in the sense that it requires actors to over-enunciate their lines but Jang Hyuk was emoting on a whole other level that was way too exaggerated for my taste, which is weird given that I absolutely loved him in Volcano High and many other dramas.

Nevertheless, I powered through and I'm so glad I did. The latter half of the episode was devoid of drama and it showed me what this k-drama can be, which I think is better off focusing on the romance between Shin Yool and Wang So. Their meeting was quick - he was put in a bag and voila, their married. 

Oh Yeon Seo's character as Shin Yool is quick-witted, capable and looks like she's pretty lucky herself, which is just the perfect balance needed to pair up with Wang So's unlucky streak and his uncouth, foul-tempered ways. And Wang So's infectious laughter, it bothered me so much but now it's beginning to grow on me.


For synopsis, cast and other info, see 2013-2015 k-drama recommendations.

First Episode Recap: Cheese in the Trap

There must be a hidden meaning behind the title but I'm a cheese lover anyway so I'll take it for what it is. Cheese in the Trap is a 16 episode TvN drama based on a much-loved webtoon. Even though I haven't seen the former, I think this might be one where the TV adaptation manages to live up to the hype.

Netizens initially had strong opinions over the casting of Kim Go Eun who is relatively unknown in k-drama land despite snagging multiple awards for her acting skills. Now that the first few episodes are out, I think everyone is in agreement that she deserves the crown. On the other hand, Park Hae Jin, the lovable second lead in You From Another Star, plays her leading man as the enigmatic college senior. I doubt anyone objected to that.

Cheese in the Trap had me grinning from the first few seconds. Hong Seol's drunken shenanigans peaked my interest and I wanted to know why she was pointing an accusatory finger at the seemingly-innocent Yoo Jung. 

Episode 1 revolves around the madness that comes with registering for classes on the first day of school. Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun) is your average university student and she has systematically planned the perfect class schedule and secured a seat in Professor Han's class as a surefire way to keep her scholarship. 

Yet on the first day of school, Hong Seol is appalled to learn that someone maliciously used her student account to drop Prof. Han's class. The biggest suspect turns out to be none other than Yoo Jung (Park Hae Jin) who has done nothing but smile sweetly at Seol. Nonetheless, the Sherlock in Seol tells her that there is something amiss behind that friendly facade.

First Impressions: I like how Seol's character can be so plain awkward yet adorable at the same time. I look forward to seeing the budding romance between the two leads especially since Yoo Jung is clearly making an effort to pursue Seol. The episode flew by in the sense that I didn't feel any minute was wasted, even Seol's friends Eun Taek and Bo Ra were hilarious (ahem, the classroom scene).

But then again, I confess to getting occasionally swayed by Seol's conspiracy theories. What if her often unfounded cynicism towards Yoo Jung turns out to be true? The appearance of siblings Baek In Ho and Baek In ha already foreshadows a backstory behind the mysterious Yoo Jung. Is this actually a thriller and not a rom-com? Is Park Hae Jin the cheese and Kim Go Eun the mouse to be trapped?


For the latest best K-drama recommendations, click here.

Drama Review: Dream High

Dream High 드림하이 is the answer to k-pop and k-drama lovers out there since it combines both genres to make k-drama gold. 

Plot Summary: Go Hye Mi (Suzy Bae) aspires to be an opera singer but due to financial troubles, she sets out to audition for a spot at Kirin Art High School instead. She meets a group of students with similar goals and we are taken through their journey towards reaching their dreams.

Rating: Must Watch (5/5)

If you want to watch a feel-good rom-com that is thoroughly entertaining, I highly recommend Dream High. There was a time when I was oblivious to k-pop but Dream High changed it all, introducing a selection of k-pop hits as well as renditions of popular songs that had me humming for days. It is pretty much Glee meets k-pop and I love it.

The premise calls for an all-idol cast which includes 2PMs Taecyeon and Wooyoung, Miss A's Suzy, T-ara's Eunjung and solo artist IU. The only actor from the bunch is Kim Soo Hyun, which is a winning decision in hindsight because his heartfelt acting grounded the show and made it so much more real.

Dream High is a short 16-episode k-drama that's simple as it tackles more mundane plots in a manner that is so sweet and endearing. The actors or rather singers truly carry the torch on this one because I rooted for each and everyone of them and rallied behind their motivations and aspirations. Besides, how does one not love an entire series devoted to the underdogs?

It was also one of those rarer moments where I wasn't sure who would end up with who and I'm glad that it ended the way it did.

Dream High OST:

A Part of This Dream - San E
Maybe - Sunye (Wonder Girls)
Dream High - Taecyeon (2PM), Wooyoung (2PM), Suzy (Miss A), Kim Soo Hyun and IU
Someday - IU
Winter Child - Suzy Bae (Miss A)
My Valentine - Taecyeon (2PM)
Dreaming - Kim Soo Hyun

Goose Dream cover by Suzy (Miss A)
Only Hope cover by Suzy (Miss A)
Genie cover by Suzy, IU, Kim Soo Hyun and Taecyeon

First Episode Recap: Moorim School

KBS2 college drama Moorim School started airing last week. Moorim is the Korean word for wulin (武林), a word every wuxia fan would know. But for those who don't, Moorim School translates in English to school of martial arts. I normally don't find school dramas appealing anymore, but I'm a sucker for dramas with this kind of concept.

Episode 1 begins with an action-packed chase through the forest where a man carrying a little girl runs from a group of assassins. Fast-forward eighteen years later and we are introduced to Yoon Shi Woo, Korea's hottest idol whose peaceful sleep is disrupted by an ear piercing sound that seems to be a common occurrence for him. 

Lee Hyun Woo's character as Yoon Shi Woo is your quintessential male lead who has it all except for a nice personality whereas the female lead Seo Ye Ji as Sim Soon Duk is the exact opposite. She is bright, cheery and working non-stop to support her family. Of course, she also happens to be a student at the mysterious Moorim School, which we only hear about thus far. 

To complete the love triangle, Hong Bin portrays Wang Chi Ang, the illegitimate son of Chinese-Korean parents and heir to one of the biggest conglomerates in China. For reasons we do not know, his father is determined to send Chi Ang to Moorim School going as far as to arrange his son's kidnapping. Chi Ang almost drowns trying to escape but fortunately for him, he is saved by his new love interest Sim Soon Duk and even meets her quirky family in the process.

Last but not the least, the triangle might be a square after all with the addition of Jung Yoo In as Hwang Sun Ah, another student from Moorim School who saves Yoon Shi Woo from a falling strobe light. She is also the reason why he will decide to go to Moorim School. 

First impressions: Maybe my expectations were through the roof, think Volcano High, one of my most favorite movies ever. However, Moorim School falls short in the sense that it is not as funny, the actors are so-so and actress Seo Ye Ji's over-exaggerated expressions were a bit too much.

The main leads are all fresh faces to me except for Lee Hyun Woo who was the goto child actor in a number of dramas that it would be a crime not to recognize him. That said, it is too early to give a verdict and I haven't even seen the inside of Moorim school yet so I'm hoping next episode will be better. But seriously, check out Volcano High, a movie starring Jang Hyuk and Shin Min Ah way back when.

See episode 2-4 highlights. 

Release Date: January 10, 2016 (eng subs on viki)

First Episode Recap: Six Flying Dragons

I'm experiencing a serious case of drama withdrawals this weekend. After marathoning 8 episodes of SIx Flying Dragons and adding it to my list of historical Korean dramas, I still can't shake off the urge to write some more.

Given that I am a bit of an old soul, I have always had a soft spot for period dramas but throw dragons into the mix and I'm hooked, line and sinker. I lied, they're not literally dragons but a mere representation of the six individuals instrumental to the rise of a nation.

My initial thoughts when I heard about this k-drama was that it had tremendous potential. It was being produced by the same people behind the success of the Tree With Deep Roots and the team did not disappoint.

Every so often when watching k-dramas, I find myself impatiently waiting for the younger version of the characters to grow up in order to quickly get on with the show but what I really liked about Six Flying Dragons was that it spared no time dragging the story along.

The progression of each character's back story was fast-paced as they learn to thrive in the worst situations at a time when tragedy has become commonplace. It was interesting to see how the events played out and the protagonists' reactions though morally questionable at times allow us to catch a glimpse of how they will become in the future.

Four episodes later and I was excited for the main cast to appear. I was actually extremely pleased with the casting choices with veteran actors at the helm playing pivotal roles but frankly, I was most looking forward to Yoo Ah In and Shin Se Kyung reunited from their pairing in Fashion King, which had one of the most sorry excuse for an ending that I have seen. I also wanted to see Yoon Kyun Sang who portrayed the big brother in the 2015 k-drama Pinocchio but my new favorite character would easily have to be Byun Yo Han as the best swordsman of Joseon. After all, who can resist a tortured soul with mad fighting skills?

I am at the edge of my seat waiting for all the chess pieces to come together. Is it blasphemous to say that it reminds me of Game of Thrones? After all, aren't historical dramas usually about fighting for the right to rule amidst tumultuous times and this has constantly been the premise for Asian period dramas.

It might be too early to rate the drama since there has only been 8 out of 50 episodes. I am so glad sageuks are incessantly long, meaning more time for unexpected plot twists and ingenious machinations for power.   

Six Flying Dragons has flair and I hope it doesn't lose it over the course of the drama because anticipating the characters embark on their journey to ignite a revolution is euphoric to say the least but to watch the fallout is not. It's amazing to be able to watch such headstrong characters rally over a cause but the plot does revolve around the eventual rivalry between our two dragons played by Yoo Ah In and Kim Myung Min as their ideologies begin to clash. Historically, Yoo Ah In's character as the future King Taejo was known to be bloodthirsty and violent so I hope he doesn't kill everyone.

If you have never bothered with historical dramas, this might be a good gateway drama because it's a lot of fun to watch. And last but not the least, I cannot leave out Nirvana In Fire, a Chinese drama I'm watching concurrently because they're both so good. If you like one, hopefully you'll enjoy the other.