Six Flying Dragons Review

Title: Six Flying Dragons
AKA: Roots of the throne
Genre: History, Politics
Episodes: 50
Broadcast Period: Oct-2015 to Mar-2016
Cast: Yoo Ah In, Kim Myung Min, Shin Se Kyung, Byun Yo Han, Yoon Kyun Sang, Chun Ho Jin, Jung Yoo Mi, Park Hae Soo, Ahn Suk Hwan

Set in the fading days of the Goryeo Dynasty, this drama depicts the lives and aspirations of six characters in establishing a new country called Joseon, with Lee Bang Won (Yoo Ah In) as the central figure. A fusion of saeguk and fiction, the story follows the conflicts of those 'six flying dragons' with the deep-rooted powers set against them, as they attempt to realize the dream they all share of a new nation founded on Confucian principles, which would eventually last for 500 years.

It’s been one hell of a journey, and Six Flying Dragons delivers a solid finale for an altogether solid, engaging show that I’m still not ready to let go of just yet. I have been following this drama from the very beginning when they announced Yoo Ah In were casted to this drama. I even mentioned it in my Secret Door Review (A great drama too). Words can’t describe the roller coaster feelings I have been through because of this drama! It’s really hard to break down a 50-episode drama, I need to make a full 50 pages analyze to make sure you get every little detail in why you should watch this drama. Believe me, there has been no 10 boring minutes throughout the whole drama. No time to breathe or get used to the awesomely-written script or the out-of-earth acting. There’s that heart throbbing feel about the whole drama it’s insane. How can I not like Lee Bang Won when it’s Yoo Ah In acting him? The ultimate Yoo Ah In! His gloomy eyes hide varieties of emotions, and that’s what makes Yoo Ah In who he is. You swim in those eyes but you lose yourself instead of finding answers. Well, I do. I can’t really find the words to sum up this review, because I haven’t even started yet. If you haven’t watched the drama yet… What are you doing then?

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Sensory Couple Review

Title: Sensory Couple
AKA: The Girl Who Sees Smells
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, thriller
Episode: 16
Broadcast Period: Apr-2015 to May-2015
Cast: Park Yoo Chun, Shin Se Kyung, Nam Goong Min, Yoon Jin Seo, Jung In Ki, Park Jin Joo, Oh Cho Hee, Jung Chan Woo, Lee Won Jong, Choi Tae Joon, Jo Hee Bong,

Choi Eun Seol (Shin Se Kyung) arrives home to find her parents murdered. When the murderer is distracted, she escapes but is hit by a car. Eun Seol's parents are later found with a barcode carved into their skin, the work of the "Barcode" serial killer. On that same night, Choi Mu Gak (Park Yoo-chun) is at the hospital visiting his younger sister, also named Choi Eun Seol (Kim So Hyun), who's being treated for mild injuries after a bus accident. When he returns to her bed, he finds her dead with her throat slit. Six months later, Eun Seol comes out of her coma. She has no memories at all of her life before waking up at the hospital, and her left eye has turned green with no scientific explanation. She has also gained the unique ability to "see" smells as visible colors and shapes. On the other hand, Mu Gak had been so traumatized by his sister's death he'd lost the sense of smell and taste, and is unable to feel pain. Unlike his previous warm personality, Mu Gak is now stoic, emotionless, and speaks in a monotone way. How will fate bring these two senseless people together?

I’m sorry about the weird plot description, but it was really hard to describe the drama without spoiling anything. Moreover, I felt like I had to justify the title of the drama somehow. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a strange title, I never imagined that it was literally about seeing smells. I was really looking forward to how they would manage to visualize smells and odor. It wasn’t how I imagined it (I don’t know what I expected haha), but somehow they did a good job with it, can’t complain. The biggest issue about the drama is in the plot; the pacing. In the first half of the drama, the pacing is fast. Things happen every episode and the plot moves quickly. Then around the halfway point, the writing loses steam. I think it’s a shame. The story had a lot of potential, so I don’t know how they managed to push it over a cliff. Don’t get me wrong, I just feel disappointed with the latter half of the drama since it had such a good start. One thing though that made me uncomfortable, was the image of ‘the national police force’. Did they have to make them so stupid and incompetent, that they actually needed a girl who sees smells to solve crimes?
The actors were all okay, although I have to point out I’m not a fan of Shin Se Kyung, and her performance didn’t really impress me. Nam Goong Min was the best though!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars
♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict

Okay first of all the title of the drama is so ridiculous “The Girl Who Sees Smells”, which by the way I get, but it kind of doesn’t revolve around her only. Yes I get the entire serial killer story, which by the way has probably the world’s creepiest and handsomest serial murderer ever, but I don’t get why it’s her name at the title. Or yeah, not her name, but it is not a drama about a girl seeing smells, it’s about a girl who sees smells, a boy without emotion/senses and a serial killer barcoding his victims, and a whole lot of mix and match between everyone. But yeah, you get the point.  Also the story could have been more interesting if they all were normal, but I guess she has to see smells in order to be interesting.

Anyway, I don’t like her (Shin Se Kyung) never did, and this drama actually made her seem decent, but I still don’t like her. Yoo Chun was great, I still am a fan of his - I mean a lot of his dramas are still circling my mind this day today. Okay, no more complaining.

The drama is good and a must watch for crime fans, also if you like any of the actors you won’t be disappointed while watching.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Soar into the Sun Movie Review

Title:  Soar into the Sun

AKA:  R2B: Return to base

Genre: Action, Drama

Origin: Korea

Release date:  15 August 2012

Cast: Rain, Shin Se Kyung, Yoo Jun Sang and Lee Jong Suk

After being transferred from the Black Eagles Air Force, elite pilot Captain Jung Tae Yoon (Rain) meets Major Yi Cheol Hee (Yoo Jung Sang) unit’s top gun (ace), the unit he’s transferred to. Tae Yoon was transferred because of his recklessness, so meeting a ‘by the book’ guy like Cheol Hee, the two bud heads. While at the unit, he gets introduced to the mechanic ace, Technical Sergeant Yoo Se Young (Shin Se Kyung), whom he instantly is attracted to, but it doesn’t seem to be mutual - she seems to dislike pilots. But somehow the two become closer, as they spend more time together, and they find out that the both share the same love for flying.

When a competition, an air-to-surface match between Eagle and Falcon squads, is around the corner, Tae Yoon gets the chance to get re-transferred to the Black Eagles, if he wins, but decides to stay.

Everything collides, when suddenly a threat from the enemy closes on.

Okay I kind of wrote this review plainly, but it is actually better in real life. The movie is good, but it has many flaws especially when you grew up with American action movies (which this is trying to copy in a way) like I did. There are many small things that bugged me, like nothing was really “intimate”, except for a couple of situations: by intimate I mean full hearted. The lead couple doesn’t have enough scenes, the major also needs a bit more heartbreaking scenes considering his past, and more than 30 min for the climax. I felt that the air force used too much of the movies time, WITHOUT being a part of the movie. On the other hand, very good made, like really quality movie! Acting wise, nothing I dislike.

Lastly, the recommendation is for people who like just the different kind of Korean action movie :D

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½/ 3½ out of 5 hearts