Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Alchemy of Souls” revolves around a nobleman who was born a mage, but had his powers taken away from him by his father, who may or may not actually be his father. The secret surrounding his birth runs throughout the series and is a source of contention for Uk, and rightfully so. Everyone deserves to know where they came from and these secrets that supposedly are for the child’s own good rarely are.
A remake of the 2002 Japanese TV series, “Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi,” “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” wasn’t nearly as subversive as the original, which had almost no moral compass (incest, murder, underage sex). A Korean film could’ve tackled those topics. But I knew there was no way a primetime Korean drama would delve too much into the seamier aspects of society.
“Because This Is My First Life” is a bittersweet series about two broken people who decide to cohabitate for financial reasons. It is also a story that is heartwarming, funny and romantic. The melancholy start to this Korean drama gave me the same feels as “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food” (in a good way).