Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Kairos” starts off promising and is reminiscent of the best elements of “Signal.” But where the latter kept the suspense going until the end, “Kairos” fizzles out midway, with redundant story arcs and some characters that are not only irredeemable, but highly unlikeable. And I’m not talking just about the villains.
“Start-Up” has a second male lead (Kim Seon-ho) who is so charismatic that his storyline often overshadows that of the very handsome lead (Nam Joo-hyuk). Ultimately, the K-Drama reinforces the idea that no matter how broken a family is, the ties remain – for better or worse.
“Voice” is a gory police procedural revolving around a police officer who can solve cases with her astute hearing and the “mad dog” detective who learns to trust her instincts. Their goal is to find the serial killer responsible for killing her father and his wife.
11 Best K-Dramas of 2020: Rivals, Lovers, and Slow Burning Intrigue. These shows are must-watch television. My latest for Teen Vogue.
“Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol” had a promising start that was spoiled by an ending that came out of nowhere.
“Record of Youth” is Park Bo-Gum’s swan song before he enlisted to serve his mandatory military duty in South Korea. While it’s meant to be a traditional love story, the friendship between the three male leads and the woman Park loves was the real draw.
A team of doctors struggle against a conglomeration that is set on privatizing their hospital to optimize profit. As Lee Dong-Wook’s character points out, the chaebol in charge wants to turn the hospital into something that only the wealthy can afford.
There’s so much lying going on in the second season of “Stranger” that it’s difficult to figure out who’s truth is real. There are so many players convinced that their own criminal acts are for the betterment (cough cough) of Korea’s economy and future that they should be given a pass on their own wrongdoings.
The chemistry between Lee Joon-Gi and Moon Chae-Won is strong in “Flower of Evil.” Viewers never doubt their love for each other. One of the most telling signs of their relationship is that even during times when she isn’t sure who he really is, she never stops referring to him as 자기야 / jagiya, which literally means that he is hers.
Cho Seung-Woo and Bae Doona are superb portraying a taciturn prosecutor and an intuitive police detective, respectively. He is aloof and shows no emotions. She is thorough and unafraid to go against her superiors’ orders to ferret out the truth.
What “Misaeng” does so very well is that it depicts how difficult life can be when everything is stacked against you, and you begin to believe that you don’t deserve more than the scraps people are willing to throw at you.
“Save Me” depicts how a cult ensnares members to join them. Are these people stupid? No. But they do want to believe in something so badly that they are wiling to overlook all the signs that something is amiss.
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” is an unconventional love story that also focuses beautifully on mental health. It depicts how the aftermath of abuse and abandonment affects the psyche, but reaffirms that no one is a lost cause — and that seeking help is self love.
“Prison Playbook” is a dramedy I never wanted to watch. But I’m so glad I did, because it handled social injustice in a way that was palatable to digest, while offering a satisfying ending.
The serial killer element of “Abyss” is intriguing and holds your interest, even though it’s clear from the get-go who the murderer is. There is an accomplice. While you won’t be 100 percent sure who that might be, your first guess is probably correct.
The masterminds behind the superb “Reply” anthology produced another hit series with “Hospital Playlist,” centering around a quintet of long-time friends who are all doctors for the same prestigious hospital.
“Hi Bye, Mama” is a testament to mothers, who will sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of their children. This was Kim Tae-Hee’s return to K-Dramas after giving birth to her own two daughters.
“Extracurricular” shows so much promise early on, before meandering into a series of violent vignettes that water down the plot.
“Hyena” shows that being called the best doesn’t mean anything in the real world. The plot depicted South Korea’s insidious system of revering lineage as flawed (and stupid). And that referring to a human being as disposable — because they don’t hail from the proper background — depicts who exactly is the human garbage here.
Park Min-Young and Seo Kang-Joon are both skilled actors, whose expressions convey the complicated emotions their characters have. Neither had an easy life and they are almost fearful of expecting — or even wanting — more than what they have.