38 Task Force Review

Title: 38 Task Force

AKA: Police Unit 38, Squad 38

Genre: Crime, Comedy

Episodes: 16

Broadcast Period: Jun-2016 to Aug-2016

Cast: Ma Dong Suk, Seo In Guk, Choi Soo Young, Song Ok Sook, Go Kyu Pil, Lee Sun Bin, Oh Man Suk, 

While the working class faithfully pays its taxes, the wealthiest elite uses elaborate schemes to get out of paying their fair share of taxes. Righteous Baek Sung Il (Ma Dong Seok) is a civil service employee who works as the Division 3 Chief at the National Tax Service who becomes fed up with the wealthiest citizens circumventing Article 38, which governs tax payments. Under pressure from his bosses to increase his division’s delinquent tax collections, Baek Sung Il tries to go after the largest tax evader in the country, Ma Jin Seok (Oh Dae Hwan), a shady Gangnam businessman. But when Sung Il and his faithful subordinate Chun Sung Hee (Choi Soo Young) are humiliated by Jin Seok and faced with possible disciplinary action, Sung Il realizes that he needs help going after the corrupt businessman. He accepts the help of professional scammer Yang Jung Do (Seo In Guk) to beat Jin Seok at his own game. Jung Do assembles his own team of professional thieves — voice phishing expert Jang Hak Joo (Heo Jae Ho), the computer expert Jung Ja Wang (Ko Kyu Pil), beautiful hustler Jo Mi Joo (Lee Sun Bin) known, ruthless businesswoman Noh Bang Sil (Song Ok Sook) and her daughter, Choi Ji Yeon (Kim Joo Ri). 

This really was a delightfully good drama. As expected from an OCN drama, the story, all the characters in the gang were thought through and executed to the smallest detail. The comedy was on point! It’s a one of a kind story, not the regular thief criminal, cat and mouse hunt, but a well-thought scheme that showcases the real thiefes in the real world. If you're tired of the gooey romance and the common love triangles, and you want something more substantial go for it because this deserves all the praises it can get. Ma Dong Seok and Seo In Gook. DO i need say more? the characters in the drama are played so well, you start believing in them. They take you on a roller coaster ride and they do it well!!
I would have given it a full rating, but somehow after the 16th episode you feel that there could have been more, I think it would have been interesting to get to know more about the characters' personal histories. Anyway, it gets: 

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Bunjis verdict

This drama has 3 of my favorite things in modern day Korean dramas: Ma Dong Suk, Seo In Guk and Soo Young. That said it also had one of my least favorite things: swindling or conning.

I get that conning corrupt and lying people is awesome, but I rather have almost any other crime rather than that. I really dislike this theme, and I really dislike that there only was one major plot in the entire drama. I get that it's suppose to help you understand the drama easier, but what I thought was another subplot – or hoping it was, was actually just another addition to the main plot, making it too slow for me. Also I don't understand why Sooyoung's character was even in the drama – why use a famous/well known actress for a character with less than 20 lines pr. episode (20 might also be too much). The bromance was good, just not well thought off. But with two great actors even a badly written bromance looks great on a screen.

As the general audience goes, this will probably fall to your liking – I personally just preferred/expected more of the writers.

All in all, a good drama though a bit lacking if you ask me.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

I Remember You Review

Title: I Remember You
AKA: Hello Monster
Genre: Romance, Thriller, Mystery
Episode: 16
Broadcast Period: Jun-2015 to Aug-2015
Cast: Seo In Guk, Jang Na Ra, Choi Won Yung, Lee Chun Hee, Park Bo Gum, Min Sung Wook, Son Seung Won,

A criminal profiler, Lee Hyun (Seo In Guk) who previously work as a consultant at the police department in New York and had given a lot of lectures in Seoul University has received a mysterious mail about his past. Drawn by this mail he returns to south Korea, and gets to work with a special criminal investigation team. Due to his special insight, he can analyze the crime scene and the suspect at one glance. He works together with an elite detective, Cha Ji An (Jang Na Ra) to solve one murder case after the other. Cha Ji An already knew about Lee Hyun since she has been stalking him every time he was in Seoul. Together they unknowingly unlock the mysteries of the past.

The plot make it sound like this drama is going to be a romance drama, I thought it would be like that. Sorry if it’s misleading, but the drama really do start like that, but the more you watch, the more you realize this drama is not focusing on the main couple but rather the main siblings! I really did enjoy the two brothers hate and affection for each other. I don’t know why, but I preferred that over the main couples relationship. The drama is filled with gominams (flower boys)! It was thrilling and pleasant for the eyes at the same time. I can’t believe I wasn’t going to watch this drama, but an interview with Seo In Guk made me want to watch it. Oh boy, this is definitely one of my favorite drama of the summer, maybe the best actually. The mystery caught me from the beginning with all the psycho profiling talk and it made me really interested in profiling. It’s not like CSI or anything, it got its own flavor in this drama, hmm.. maybe that’s why I fell for it from the beginning. The story is filled with thrilling murder cases (one more plus), but because it had a 15 age restriction you don’t get to see any hardcore murder scenes, but somehow they made it creepy anyway. That must have been a hard job for the production crew and writers, but they managed it with awesome results. All of the actors were brilliant, I can’t pinpoint just one, that would not be fair to the rest, they were all amazing with their respective characters. I really don’t know what more to say to make you watch it :b

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict

After spending a lot of time trying to start, which by the way has a both confusing and quite dull introduction, I managed to start this drama and to my surprise I finished it in matter of 2 days. As profiling/psychological/crime dramas go, this one was quite close to what I expect from a complicated yet interesting plot. As a Korean drama I have to admit it was a bit darker than usual, but still managed to add the ‘typical flavor’ of both overdramatizing and over sentimentalizing both the sob story and the ‘bromance’, as all of us Asian drama lovers adore. To be fair I get all characters – which I very important for me when I am watching a drama – but I felt as if they were too much of stereotypes. It’s not as if it ruins everything, it is just too typical. And I have to say that the romance was weird – not bad – just felt out of place. A lot of you will probably disagree, as it is a typical Korean drama move (the entire know each other from childhood blah blah… and the second lead trying to ruin all), but I was just annoyed most of the time.

On the other hand, this has to be hands down the most decent portrayal of a female cop. So far most female cops in drama are damsel in destress and THANK GOD Korea has understood the meaning of COPS... Like don’t they do training or anything like that... seriously… But this drama showed what I was waiting for, and even if the female would be kidnapped or whatever, she’d kick ass… Though most of the time she’d still be saved by a male, I think that Jang Na Ra was the one fighting the most in this drama... Which is cool. Seo In Guk was cool as always, and those tight fitted suits really suit him!

Okay so all in all, a quite interesting drama, but a bit too typical for my taste – though I liked the darker elements.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

The King's Face Review

Title: The King’s Face
Genre: Historical, Drama, Action, Thriller, Romance
Episodes: 23
Broadcast date: 2014-Nov to 2015-Feb
Cast: Seo In Guk, Jo Yoon Hee, Lee Sung Jae, Shin Sung Rok and Kim Gyu Ri.

Face reading is an art in which by looking at a face; its form, condition, the skin, the shape and so on, it is possible to learn things like a person's characteristics, personality traits and innermost secrets, but also the possible future.
Before stepping on the throne the current King (Lee Sung Jae) was told by the royal face reader that if he ever were to become the King, Joseon would suffer and fall into despair. By luck he becomes the King, and soon after, Joseon falls into anguish with diseases killing the civilians and hunger striking the country.
Several years later, the King has four sons, all from concubines due to the Queen’s infertility. The two oldest are from the first concubine, who passed away, but the Queen took in as her own sons: Prince Imhae (Park Joo Hyung) and Prince Gwanghee (Seo In Guk). Due to his jealousy of his sons and fear that he would lose his position as the King, the King refuses to announce the Crown Prince even though the both princes expect Prince Imhae to be crowned. Though Prince Imhae is short tempered, he cares dearly for his younger brother, and protects him with all he has. Prince Gwanghee, fully devoted to brother and father, never even thought about taking the throne from any of them. But due to his complex about never getting the face of a King, the King’s jealousy strikes Prince Gwanghee the most, as he not only has every quality of a Crown Prince, but also the face of one.
When Prince Gwanghee is attacked in the royal library, he decides to seek out the culprit, and finds out that a rebel group called the ’Dedong society’ is behind it, the King sends out a royal command, having them all arrested. Little does Prince Gwanghee know that this decisive act ends him up in a struggle of political war, with not only him and the royal court, but also the future position of the King…

I was quite excited while watching this drama as I am Seo In Guk fan, but also the story is again of my favorite royal history. And they are almost completely true to the real life story, though as always a bit dramatized. I am fond of In Guk playing love stories as he is good at playing in love, but the screenwriters really made me dislike the lead couple, because of several reasons (not gonna tell them haha). I did feel they were in love, might also be the reason for my dislike, but it was really just annoying to watch. The more the writers tried to make it more tragic and more heartfelt, the more I hated the female lead (I think you understand who was tragic in the drama here). And the supposed second female lead, which by the way was one of my favorite characters in Korean period drama of all time, had so little screen time and influence in the kings eyes that she was less on screen that the royal eunuch – which by the way does not make any sense! (You’ll understand when you see the drama). On the other hand the political and war part was quite good, yet the last 2 episodes felt rushed (they are like spread in 7 years man - crazy).
The actors were good though, especially In Guk and Shin Sung Rok, though I found the female lead to be as typical as they come.
To sum up: a good drama with good content, but bad love story.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

King of High School Life Review

Title: High Schooler King of Life
AKA: High School King of Savvy
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 17
Broadcast periode: 2014-Jun to 2014-Aug
Cast: Seo In Guk, Lee Ha Na, Lee Yul Eum, Lee Soo Hyuk, Oh Kwang Rok, Kwon Sung Duk, Han Jin Hee, Song Young Kyu, Jo Han Chul, Kim Won Hae.

Lee Min-seok (Seo In Guk), is a popular high school student and varsity ice hockey player. He and his older brother Hyung-Seok (Seo In Guk) look very much alike, despite their nine-year age gap. One day he gets a mysterious phone call from Hyung-Seok telling him to impersonate his brother as the new director at an IT conglomerate. Now he has to live a double life while unaware with the rules there is within the Korean workplace. With only the help from his two best friend, he has to graduate high school, while keeping up with ice hockey and be a successful and intelligent director, until his brother comes back.

I am a big fan of Seo in guk since before Reply 1997, so I really looked forward to this drama, and he didn’t disappoint me! He is slowly rising to be a top actor, and I can’t wait for his next project. But the drama as a whole was interesting although I didn’t end up enjoying it. I liked the plot a lot, but the way it turned out to be, sucked a little bit for me, I guess I am too tired of noona-relationships, and this one was a little stupid. Like c’mon, he is a high school student.. It’s just not right. If you can look through that, you get a hilarious drama, with a lot of charisma (Lee Soo Hyuk) kekeke, so all in all an okay watch.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Another Parting Review

Title: Another Parting

AKA: Some Kind of Goodbye / What Kind of Goodbye

Genre: Romance, Melodrama, Fantasy, Action, Web Drama

Episodes: 5

Broadcast period: 2014-Feb to 2014-Feb

Cast: Seo In Guk, Wang Ji Won, Choi Dae Hoon and Oh Cho Hee.

Sent to earth on a mission, alien (Seo In Guk) takes over a human body and is given the task to find out why humans cry. Only given a day he isn’t sure how to do the mission, but is told that many of the prior ‘agents’ failed their missions and didn’t manage to come back. That would happen to him as well of he doesn’t find out in 24 hours. Whilst roaming the streets, he meets Seo Ha Na (Wang Ji Won), standing on a bridge, crying. This gives him hope, believing he can be able to find the reason for humans to be crying. But when she steps on to the fence of the bridge wanting to jump down, the alien manages to stop her. And so begins the story of the heartbroken woman, and the alien…

I have no idea what I was expecting, and I have no idea what the hell this was about. The beginning makes sense, sort of, but somehow the last episode was just weird and I have no idea what went down. I like that In Guk and Ji Won did a great job, really well acted, but that is it. Nothing in this drama works for me. And yes, I know it’s a web drama, but still it should make sense.

Anyhow, it is short and well-acted, but yeah that is it. If you ever watch it, do tell me what you thought of it. And please explain to me what it is about.

☆☆½ / 2½ out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

No Breathing Movie Review

Title: No Breathing
Genre: drama, comedy, sports, romance
Origin: South Korea
Release date: October 30. 2013
Cast: Seo In Guk, Lee Jong Suk, Kwon Yuri, Shin Min Chul, Kim Jae Young, Park Chul Min, Park Jung Chul, Sunwoo Jae Deok, Ah Young . . .

Jo Won Il (Seo In Guk) is the lazy student who get's caught drinking and is eventually thrown out of school after several other issues. He ends up going to a school where he joins the swimming team, only because he has no other choice. Jo Won Il is the son of a famous swimming champion but he stopped swimming when both his parents passed away. At the same time as Jo Won Il transfers schools, another guy, Jung Woo Sang (Lee Jong Suk), a national swimmer arrives. The two dont exactly get along well, especially not when Jung Woo Sang recognizes Jo Won Il back from the time when he was still competing, and was beat by him.

This movie is so fresh and funny. Especially Seo In Guk. So many funny scenes and the movie is on the ligther note even though it is some serious stuff. However.. here it comes.. I am getting a bit tired of Lee Jong Suk and the roles he is playing. It seems to always be the same. The same feel to it. Nothing new or fresh about him. Either he only gets offered those kinds or roles or he just cant break that character. So Im glad that Seo In Guk made the whole thing so much funnier. A great movie. Made me wanna go out and swim lol. The love story as well is so light and not burdensome. I enjoyed it and I recommend it!

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Buni's Verdict

Hmm, when I read Jenij’s review I had expectations (for some reason I always have and never learn) for this to be at least a daebak kind of movie, but yeah, didn’t happen. I can’t say it is bad just kind of boring. YES, it does have funny moments, and all that friendship building, but the script was lame so was the way of writing these characters.  I though both Seo In Gook and Lee Jong Suk were awesome (and Yuri useless - and unnecessary), but kind of can’t save a dead fish. Maybe I have a hard time comparing this kind of movie since I have watched dramas where swimming was more interesting, even exciting (hint: Umizaru), but I used about 4 hours to watch this because I kept pausing it to watch something else.

Yes my rating is high, and that is because the last approx. 30 min of it was good, or at least more interesting than the rest. I’m not saying the movie is bad, just lacking!

Summing up, and okay movie.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Master's Sun Review

Title: Master's sun
AKA: The Sun of My Master / The Sun of the Lord
Genre: horror, fantasy, romance, comedy
Episodes: 17
Broadcast period: 2013-Aug-07 to 2013-Oct-03
Cast: So Ji Sub, L, Gong Hyo Jin, Seo In Guk, Kim Yoo Ri, Choi Jung Woo, Kim Mi Kyung, Lee Jong Won, Park Hee Bon, Hong Eun Taek, Lee Do Hyun, Lee Jae Won, Jung Ga Eun, Kim Yong Gun, Han Bo Reum, Hwang Sun Hee . . .

Joo Joong Won (So Ji Sub) is a cold CEO who only thinks about his "Kingdom", his hotel and mall. As a young teenager (L) he had somewhat a traumatic experience, being kidnapped and watching his first love die. However things aren't exactly what they looked like, but only Joong Won knows. There is a rumour that he is under a curse, as he turns down proposals, and never has a succesful relationship. Unexpectedly, on a rainy night, fate brings him to a place out of town, where he ends up meeting a strange woman, Tae Gong Shil (Gong Hyo Jin). Tae Gong Shil had an accident, and ended up in a coma for 3 years, after she woke up she could see spirits/ghosts. Because of this somewhat unfurtunate ability, Gong Shil was forced to stay in here small rooftop apartment, disclosed from the rest of the world. Only ghosts come to visit her, because to them, she shines brightly like a sun.  Tae Gong Shil notices that ghosts do not get close to Joong Won, so she starts following him. He on the other hand does not like her nor believes in ghost, but when she tells him she can see ::::, his first love, he suddenly sees the oppertunities that lie in her ability.

I had so much fun watching So Ji Sub's character, his hand movements, which he did so much were fun to watch. Again he lives his character, very typical his acting, he becomes his character. I didn't see anything wrong with the acting of the others either. You kind of have to get used to Tae Gong Shil, not sure if it's the actress, I dont think I have watched here in a drama before. Also we had that thing again where this guy, Seo In Guk's character, thinks that he needs to protect Tae Gong Shil, and Tae Gong Shil ends up being this voulnerable girl who needs protection. That annoys me, but it's a part of her character maybe. Overall it is nice and it's not hard to watch. It had plenty of funny moments. Though it does feel like your average drama, didn't have a WOW effect, you still enjoy it since it's relaxing and not stressful.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥/ 4 out of 5 heart

Bunji's Verdict

After reading Jenji’s review I really didn’t want to watch this, I mean if it IS So Ji Sub, it better be WOW, but she said it wasn’t so I was afraid I’d dislike it. BUT I’m honest by saying this, I really enjoyed it. The back stories were seriously heartbreaking, and the two were just great together. I haven’t really seen Ji Sub in this kind of comedy role, but it suits him, and wow, I really had a blast. I mean sometimes it was so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing. And Gong Hyo Jin is my favorite actress, now I said it! Beside the three last episodes, which somehow felt like fillers, I have to say one of the best dramas of the year (I don’t care what Jenji says - I liked it a lot).. Also I’m crossing my fingers that these two actors get married! Hmph!

So, should you watch it? YES! I recommend it, very much so!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Answer Me, 1997 Review

Title: Answer Me 1997

AKA: Answer to 1997 / Reply 1997 / Answer 1997

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Youth, School,

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2012-Jul to 2012-Sep

Cast: Jung Eun Ji, Seo In Guk, Shin So Yool, Hoya, Eun Ji Won and Lee Shi Un.

Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji) is the ultimate H.O.T fangirl, to the point of her sleeping outside her idols house. She doesn’t care about school, or about being the second worst on her class. All her money, time and thoughts go the either H.O.T concerts or her swooning over Tony An. Her next door neighbor Yoo Yoon Jae (Seo In Guk) is quite the opposite, being number one in school, and actually being the best at everything. They two grew up together, and after Yoon Jae’s parents die in an accident, he and his brother Tae Woong (Song Jong Ho) tend to almost live with the Sungs. The two share a special bond, fighting and bickering all the time. Their friends, Kang Joon Hee (Hoya) number two in school and with a secret, Moo Yoo Jung (Shin So Yul) a ’loose’ girl loving falling in love, Bang Sung Jae (Lee Shi Eun) a pervert and Do Hak Chan (Eun Ji Won) the new kid from Seoul, wonder how on earth they manage to stay friends, but when Yoon Jaes brother one day tell Yoon Jae something, everything changes…

Wow. All that I can say is wow. I really didn’t expect it to be so good. I have heard a lot about it, but I never thought it to be as good as people said it was. Honestly, from the beginning all the way till episode 13, I didn’t feel bored at all, completely entertained. The actors were brilliant, the screen play, the dialogues and hell, even the nonstop jumping back and forward in time was genius! Like it made me really interested in the relations, and the script was written so good, that it kept you intrigued all the time. I totally understood every emotion, and reaction, though the brother-brother relation was a bit annoying, yet livable. Thumps up!

The reason it wasn’t 5 hearts is just the little dragging from episode 13 till 16, annoying me a bit, but if yo ignore that, it’s almost perfect.

☆☆☆☆☆/ 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts