The Legend of the Blue Sea Review

Title: The Legend of the Blue Sea

AKA: Remember the Blue Sea

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Comedy

Episodes: 20

Broadcast Period: Nov-2016 to Jan-2017

Cast: Jun Ji Hyun, Lee Min Ho, Lee Hee Joon, Shin Won Ho, Lee Ji Hoon, Hwang Shin Hye, Shin Hye Sun, 

Sometime during August, 1598, newly appointed governor Dam Ryung (Lee Min Ho) stays for a night at an inn run by Mr. Yang (Sung Dong Il). During that evening, Mr. Yang shows Dam Ryung a captured mermaid named Sim Chung (Jun Ji Hyun). Later that night, Dam Ryung releases her into the ocean and, before she swims away, Sim Chung reaches out her hand to Dam Ryung which he briefly holds.

In the present day, Joon Jae (Lee Min Ho) is a smooth talking conman with magician like abilities. He works with Nam Doo (Lee Hee Joon) and Tae Oh (Shin Won Ho). For their next score, Joon Jae impersonates a prosecutor and swindles a large amount of money from a wealthy suspect's mother. Joon Jae then travels abroad and stays at an oceanside resort. Meanwhile, Sim Chung is swept up in a tidal wave and washed ashore near the oceanside resort.

It has been a while ago since I watched this drama, and my review was half finished, so I’m just going to try and sum up what I feel about it with the memory of it. I can already now say that it didn’t have an exceptional impact on me. It had the same feeling over it like  My Love From Another Star, and since it’s the same actress too, Jun Ji Hyun, I kinda expected something different. But I guess these kind of roles are her expertise, so she stays in the same lane. Lee Min Ho, I don’t know what to say, individually he didnt impress me, but as a couple with Jun Ji Hyun I kind of enjoyed their chemistry and humour. So I would say what saved him was his co-actors too, the 2 other conmans. One thing that stood out in this drama, was the beautiful cinematography, that I enjoyed for sure. I know this drama was really popular, but for me it didn’t hit all my expectations.

☆☆☆ ½ / 3½  out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

The Flu Movie Review

Title: The Flu
Genre: Human, Action
Origin: South Korea
Release Date: August 14, 2013
Cast: Soo Ae, Jang Hyuk, Park Min Ha, Yoo Hae Jin, Ma Dong Seok, Lee Hee Joon, Cha In Pyo, Lang Sang Yeob

A group of illegal immigrants are smuggled from China to South Korea inside a shipping container, but when it's opened in the affluent Seoul suburb of Bundang by traffickers, it's discovered that all of the immigrants are dead, except for one man, a carrier of a deadly strain of H5N1 (avian influenza, or bird flu). As the man escapes, he quickly spreads the virus to nearby residents. Mir (Park Min-ha), daughter of a single mother Kim In-hae (Soo Ae), meets the man, named Mossai, and gives him some food and tells him to wait as she calls rescue worker and paramedic Kang Ji-goo (Jang Hyuk). However as he arrives, Mossai is nowhere to be found.

I was able to watch this movie while travelling, and only because it was the only movie I had in my tablet. However, oh boy I wished I watched it sooner, it was better than I expected. It totally gave me the chills. Somehow, it kept your attention to the very end and had a good story line. When you’re finished with the movie, it still stays with you on your mind, and you start looking at people coughing and wonder if... Just kidding! The acting was top-notch especially Park Min Ha. She may be a child actress but she brought her character to life, I’m seriously amazed by all the child actors in Korea, some of them are better than the adults. One scene with Park Min Ha crying made me cry so hard (watch the movie to find out) that I had to look away from the screen & took a break for a moment to recompose myself.  If you like medical, disaster and action type movies then you'll probably like this one.

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Bunji Verdict

This is another movie I had to watch, because of the references made by Korean tv. Though I never really paid much attention to it, I felt it had been out there and around me for quite a long time, but I didn’t want to watch it, as I am not the biggest fan of overhyped movies. That said, I loved this! I was afraid it would be a wannabe Hollywood epidemic movie, but I LOVED that they kept it (for the most part) Korean. I really have no flaw to mention in this movie, except the fact that the last 8 minutes made me cry so much, I was all swollen, but that is because I was unable to look away from Min Ha’s acting… seriously amazing!

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just end like this: 100% recommendable.

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Jeon Woo Chi Review

Title: Jeon Woo Chi

AKA: Woo Chi

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Period, Romance

Episodes: 24

Broadcast period: 2012-Nov to 2013-Feb

Cast: Cha Tae Hyun, Uee, Lee Hee Joon, Baek Jin Hee, Kim Gab Soo and Sung Dong Il

Lee Chi (Cha Tae Hyun) is a reporter in mid-Joseon, and lives life freely and without care, seems carefree and lazy. But underneath his presence, he hides a secret: he can use magic. He is Jeon Woo Chi, student of Hong Gil Dong, who is looking for his master’s killer Ma Sook (Kim Gab Soo) and his friend who betrayed him Kang Rim (Lee Hee Joon) who took away his love and fiancé Hong Moo Yeon (Uee) by poisoning her with magic - basically hypnotizing her. When a man is supposedly killed by a tiger, Lee Chi checks it out and finds traces of Kang Rims trade mark magic. Lee Chi loses the trace shortly after, but when a young girl Lee Hyun Ryung (Baek Jin Hee) steals a bag with some form of seeds from a smuggling ship and her father takes a bite, falling in a form of hallucination/coma, Lee Chi cures him. Soon after a slave, Bong Soo (Song Dong Il) whom lost money to Lee Chi while gambling, is accused for murder, Lee Chi goes to save his own butt, but finds out that the same poison he cured, was used on Bong Soo to make him confess, Lee Chi realizes that Kang Rim is somewhat involved, and follows him…

When I started watching this drama I was surprised how different it was, than the usual Korean drama. It was light, interesting and unique, but after the first half, it turned 180 degrees and it was as if the first part never really happened. And the Wuxia/flying/superpowers idea is a good for a change, makes you curious, or me at last. That aside, I had mixed feelings about the lead couple, not because I preferred a supporting-lead couple, it was just very different. Though the couples around were brilliant: I have a thing for queen-king love stories, and those innocent love stories :) Acting wise, mainly good, just occasionally odd, not bad, just odd, which was supposedly part of the drama. Lastly I would like to comment about the length: I don’t mind 24 episodes have done way more, but it is as if they really did everything to make it extra-long, adding extra stuff. But it’s not draggy like those other dramas, and not as stuffy (depends on how you see it and what interests you).

All in all recommendable for the playful soul. 

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts