DryedMangoez recaps, reviews and commentary of Korean drama series.
Netflix looks to have its next big Korean hit with reality-competition series Physical: 100 (피지컬: 100). One hundred contestants from various fields in top physical shape compete in a series of grueling challenges to be the last one standing. And to claim the honor and 300 million won cash prize.
ENA’s Unlock My Boss (사장님을 잠금해제) holds a lot of surprises. But the biggest of all is probably how much heart it has. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll gasp. The series mixes drama, comedy, fantasy and mystery into a tight package. And the unexpected bit of heart really holds everything together.
KBS2’s Bad Prosecutor (진검승부/True Sword Battle) is surprisingly quite bland despite having a solid cast. An overly familiar story of revenge and corruption that doesn’t really offer any new twists or approaches results in a series that is just there. It is not offensively bad. But there’s nothing memorable about it either. And that’s disappointing.
tvN’s Reborn Rich (재벌집 막내아들/The Chaebol’s Youngest Son) is a creative, high concept series that gives an interesting twist on familiar themes. Song Joong Ki’s charisma and charm is utilized to full effect and the ensemble cast is an important part of what helps the series reach its climax. While there are some missteps along the way, especially in its final acts, Reborn Rich is nonetheless an intriguing and refreshing drama.
The second season of Netflix’s Single’s Inferno (솔로지옥 시즌2) might have redeemed itself a bit at the end. But if there’s more to come on the island of Inferno, there’s no doubt the show will need some tweaking to keep the format as engaging as it can be.
The 2017 tvN series Prison Playbook (슬기로운 감빵생활 /Wise Prison Life) is an enjoyable, heartwarming and endearing slice of life story about convicts, their families and the corrections officers tasked with keeping them in check. Quite an interesting combination, yet the series easily delivers a wide range of emotions to tell engaging character-driven and relatable stories about life, family and friendship. A stellar ensemble cast is the strong glue that holds all the pieces together for what is a complete and satisfying series.
There is a lot of honesty and sincerity with the stories shared on the show. And when coupled with the awkwardness, drama and romance that comes with reality dating shows, His Man is a refreshing and engaging series. Really great to see a show like this exist, let alone gearing up for a second season too!
I’ve always maintained that time travel shows are either hit or miss. There’s really no in between. So it’s always a pleasant surprise when a series like OCN’s 2018 miniseries My First Love (애간장 /Longing Heart) comes along and secures itself in the former category. The fact that OCN, a network that has become known for dark, gritty dramas, was the home to this lighthearted romantic drama is surprising enough. But a charming cast brings to life a script that knows exactly what it wants to be and doesn’t try to be something it is not. (Which, more often than not, is the case with drama series involving traveling through time and space.)
Netflix’s The Glory (더 글로리) wastes no time in setting the stage for what has to be one of the most refreshingly unflinching revenge dramas in a long time. Through these first eight episodes, Song Hye Kyo leads an excellent cast as the series chronicles one woman’s painful journey from being a victim of high school violence to now having a chance to exact revenge on the perpetrators.
Netflix’s very own Korean dating show returned last month and I was finally able to catch up on the first six episodes. Season 2 of last year’s surprise hit Single’s Inferno (솔로지옥) introduced the new group of sexy singles. And it’s been another fun, juicy ride so far. But at the same time, there’s been some interesting cracks in the glossy façade of the series.