Category: Korean Drama

DryedMangoez recaps, reviews and commentary of Korean drama series.

Good Ol’ Review: “Pachinko” is Simply a Stunning Epic

Good Ol’ Review: “Pachinko” is Simply a Stunning Epic

Pachinko (파친코/パチンコ) is a breathtaking television event. The eight-episode (first!) season of this Apple TV+ series is truly a stunning experience. It is the kind of grand epic production and storytelling that you rarely, if ever see on Korean television or even from any of the recent streaming exclusive local series. It is certainly a coup for Apple TV+ to have secured the rights to this Kogonada and Justin Chon-directed series as its first foray into Korean drama. And the adaptation of the epic novel from journalist/author Min Jin Lee is the perfect source material for such a production.

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Good Ol’ Review: KBS’ “Naked Fireman” an Unexpectedly Intriguing and Fun Mystery

Good Ol’ Review: KBS’ “Naked Fireman” an Unexpectedly Intriguing and Fun Mystery

KBS’ Naked Fireman (맨몸의 소방관) is an intriguing four-episode miniseries that finds a perfect mix of comedy, mystery and legitimate danger. Lee Joon Hyuk and Jung In Sun lead the 2017 series that gives a fun first impression before it leads the audience down a much darker, yet engaging path.

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Good Ol’ Review: Strong Ensemble Leads Engaging “Forecasting Love and Weather”

Good Ol’ Review: Strong Ensemble Leads Engaging “Forecasting Love and Weather”

Life can be just as unpredictable as the weather. And no matter how much you try to predict and prepare for either, you’ll never be 100% accurate or perfect. This is the idea at the center of JTBC’s engaging, character-driven drama series Forecasting Love and Weather (기상청 사람들: 사내연애 잔혹사 편/Meteorological Administration People: Office Romance Cruelty ). Park Min Young and Song Kang lead a strong ensemble cast through the always unpredictable road of life all while dealing with the rigors and responsibility of their work at Korea’s national weather service.

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Good Ol’ Review: Ahn Bo Hyun and Jo Bo Ah Lead Engaging and Timely “Military Prosecutor Doberman”

Good Ol’ Review: Ahn Bo Hyun and Jo Bo Ah Lead Engaging and Timely “Military Prosecutor Doberman”

Ahn Bo Hyun and Jo Bo Ah deliver enthralling performances in tvN’s engaging, fun and timely drama series Military Prosecutor Doberman (군검사 도베르만). Mixing the always ripe for excitement revenge drama with an unflinching look at the realities of today’s society and particularly the inner-workings of Korea’s military and justice system, Military Prosecutor Doberman is never short of material. And it is material that the series delivers with a confidence and sincerity that really connects with the viewer through its 16 episodes.

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Good Ol’ Review: Netflix’s “The Sound of Magic” Has Whimsical Depth

Good Ol’ Review: Netflix’s “The Sound of Magic” Has Whimsical Depth

Netflix’s latest original Korean drama The Sound of Magic (안나라수마나라 / Annarasumanara) is quite the unexpected adventure. On the surface it is a whimsical musical fantasy. But it is when it manages to dive deeper into the characters and speak of the world at large that it is at its most captivating. With a talented cast led by Ji Chang Wook, Choi Sung Eun and Hwang In Yeop, The Sound of Magic is indeed a magical, emotional and meaningful series.

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Good Ol’ Review: SBS’ Charming “Business Proposal” is a Much Welcome Feel-Good Romcom

Good Ol’ Review: SBS’ Charming “Business Proposal” is a Much Welcome Feel-Good Romcom

There is always room for a good ol’ fashioned romcom. The kind that easily puts a smile on your face with sweet, fluffy moments and an endearing and charming cast. SBS’ Business Proposal (사내맞선/The Office Blind Date) is exactly that kind of series. The romantic comedy features Ahn Hyo Seop, Kim Sejeong, Kim Min Kyu and Seol In Ah in a wholesome, feel-good story that takes on very familiar K-drama elements and puts together what is ultimately a fun and enjoyable time.

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Good Ol’ Review: Strong Cast and Sci-Fi Adventure Carry Disney+’s Intricate “Grid”

Good Ol’ Review: Strong Cast and Sci-Fi Adventure Carry Disney+’s Intricate “Grid”

Well, enter Disney+’s original series Grid (그리드). It isn’t as outstanding as the aforementioned series. But it also isn’t as bad as the others as well. Instead, Grid is the rare time travel-infused drama series to find itself somewhere in between. Though its cast does as best as they can, even carrying many parts of the series itself, the story teeters on the edge and just avoids completely collapsing onto itself.

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Good Ol’ Review: Excellent Cast Powers tvN’s Nostalgic and Relatable “Twenty-Five Twenty-One”

Good Ol’ Review: Excellent Cast Powers tvN’s Nostalgic and Relatable “Twenty-Five Twenty-One”

The tvN drama series Twenty-Five Twenty-One (스물다섯 스물하나) is a wonderfully nostalgic slice of life and coming of age portrait of a group of friends with the ever-changing world as its backdrop. The history that is being made around them is almost a character in and of itself as the characters navigate the tumultuous time that is the dawn of the 21st century and the always tumultuous time between adolescence and adulthood.

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Good Ol’ Review: Charming Cast Carries Disney+’s “Rookie Cops”

Good Ol’ Review: Charming Cast Carries Disney+’s “Rookie Cops”

Disney+’s Rookie Cops (너와 나의 경찰수업 /You and My Police Class) is an interesting series. Centered around freshman students at a police university, the series is well positioned to tackle many different topics and themes such as coming of age and college life. Not to mention the pursuit of justice and happiness in a less than fair world. But the series somehow does not bring everything together in the most seamless way, holding it back from being something great. However, its charming cast carries the series on their shoulders to result in an ultimately satisfying, though somewhat unmemorable time.

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Good Ol’ Review: Rain and Kim Bum Lead the Fun and Emotionally Satisfying “Ghost Doctor”

Good Ol’ Review: Rain and Kim Bum Lead the Fun and Emotionally Satisfying “Ghost Doctor”

Rain and Kim Bum are irresistibly charming and endearing in the tvN fantasy medical drama Ghost Doctor (고스트 닥터). You’ll get a lot of familiar K-drama themes from clashing of personalities, workplace politics and shady dealings to sweet romance, sincere friendships and a good helping of character growth. And it’s all wrapped up in a fun, whimsical package with the exciting and hectic backdrop of a bustling hospital in the middle of Seoul. On the surface it may seem like a paint by the numbers medical procedural. But at its heart (and in a way that only Korean dramas can do), it is an emotional and uplifting character-driven look at humanity and the bonds and connections that are forged in the most unexpected places.

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