DryedMangoez recaps, reviews and commentary of Korean drama series.
Psychological crime thrillers are plentiful on Korean television. And Memorist (메모리스트) is one of them. But this 2020 tvN series ends up being a little too ambitious for its own good. While its stellar cast is able to carry the weight, the series stumbles though its efforts to try and offer something different and more involved than other similar shows in the genre.
Going into tvN’s much-talked about Start Up (스타트업), I was fully aware of the hype and the passionate debate surrounding the series. Usually when a series garners this much attention, it’s easy to have certain expectations about it before ever watching a minute of it. Perhaps because of those expectations, I found myself being pleasantly surprised by what the series actually was. That is, a hopeful and relatable story about family, friends, following your dreams and working to make those dreams a reality.
It’s hard to find good character-driven thrillers. But OCN’s 2020 series Train (트레인) definitely fits the bill and then some. Yoon Shi Yoon and Kyung Soo Jin lead a strong ensemble in this suspenseful roller coaster (train?) ride of emotions, crime and science-fiction.
The 2020 tvN series Tale of the Nine Tailed (구미호뎐/Tale of The Nine-Tailed Fox) is an overall enjoyable series with a charming cast. But it falls short of being the fantastical epic romance it seemed set out to be.
The two-hour long, four-episode MBC drama special You Drive Me Crazy (미치겠다, 너땜에!/I’m Crazy, For You!) shows you can tell an engaging romantic story in a short amount of time as long as you have good actors and focused writing.
The 2020 MBC drama series When I Was the Most Beautiful (내가 가장 예뻤을때) is a quintessential romantic melodrama that is powered by an excellent cast, a tightly-written intricate story and an emotional depth rarely seen on television dramas. It has unexpectedly become one of my favorite dramas of the year. And Lim Soo Hyang, Ji Soo and Ha Seok Jin deliver exceptional, must-watch/must-experience performances.
The 2020 OCN drama Search (써치) is a thrilling mystery that packs a lot into its ten episodes. The fast-paced story and great cast leaves you both satisfied and wanting much more.
The 2020 JTBC drama 18 Again (18 어게인) is an all-around fun and heartwarming series depicting relatable life lessons about family, friends, school and career. Though it loses a bit of steam towards the end, it is a wholly satisfying series that is powered by sincere performances and a positive overarching message.
OCN, long the home of genre-bending and bold storytelling, premiered crime thriller Voice (보이스 ) in 2017. But my review is for the second and third seasons of the series. (I”ll have to go back and watch that original season in the future.)
OCN’s 2019 series Strangers from Hell (타인은 지옥이다 / Hell is Other People) is a psychological thriller to end all psychological thrillers. Ten fast-paced episodes explore the often-tumultuous depths of people’s minds and often-frightening depths of today’s society. It serves as a reminder about not ignoring those reaching out for help and how there may always be something lurking beneath an innocuous surface.