Category: Reviews

“D.P.” (디피)

Jae-Ha Kim

The superb “D.P.” is not an easy series to watch. While not as gory as “Squid Game,” it’s more disturbing in many ways, because it deals with South Korea’s real-life mandatory military duty — which requires every able-bodied Korean man to enlist for approximately two years.

In ‘Squid Game,’ children’s games get awfully bloody

Jae-Ha Kim

NPR asked me to share my thoughts about the Korean series, “Squid Game,” for their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. We discussed the controversy about the subtitles, whether the Western actors in Episodes 7 lended anything to the series and whether a Season 2 would be a good thing or not.

“Hospital Playlist” (슬기로운 의사생활): Season 2

Jae-Ha Kim

“Hospital Playlist” is a good series, where the core friendship is warm and engaging. The five doctors have the kind of relationship with each other that makes me envious … even though I don’t particularly feel a need for that many close friends in my real life. (haha)

“Squid Game” Is a Social Allegory Informed by Korean History

Jae-Ha Kim

“Squid Game” is not this year’s “Parasite,” so much as it is a satire in the vein of “A Modest Proposal.” Just as Jonathan Swift pointed out the abject brutality of telling the poor to satiate their hunger by eating healthy, plump babies, Hwang depicts the cruelty of lording a huge sum of money – literally – over desperate people’s heads, knowing that most will die as they lived: penniless.

“Bring It On, Ghost” (싸우자 귀신아)

Jae-Ha Kim

The series parable seems to be that if you have hate in your heart, you are susceptible to being influenced to hurt others, just because you can. “Bring It On, Ghost” started off as an uneven series. But once you get past the first couple episodes, it becomes a must-see K-drama that’s filled with action and a lot of heart.

“Penthouse: War in Life (Season 3)” (펜트하우스)

Jae-Ha Kim

What started out as a compelling makjang series ended with a bloody mess, where vengeance wasn’t sweet. Rather, it took over the main characters’ lives to the point where they could see nothing else but hate.