“Yaksha: Ruthless Operations” (야차)

A fast-moving action film, “Yaksha: Ruthless Operations” is a spy thriller full of special ops, backstabbing and political intrigue. Last year, I stopped watching about 20 minutes into the movie, because it didn’t hold my interest. But when I went back to it this year, I found it to be thoroughly entertaining. Is this a prestige film? Absolutely not. But it was a fun ride with a (straight-laced) fish-out-of-water concept.

“My Liberation Notes” (나의 해방일지)

“My Liberation Notes” is very beautifully executed in presenting a slice of life that doesn’t offer a fairy-tale ending … or offer finite solutions to ease the characters’ lives. But what this K-drama does do is allow for growth. Who the characters are at the start of the series is not who they are by the finale, and that’s a good thing.